Beale Street
by donnersun
Summary: Can Bella overcome the ghosts of her pasts enough to let someone new into her life? There's a mule, an Edward, and a cussing parrot. A/H Rated M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

**Wow...it's scary to push that "publish" button! Getting this first chapter up was a serious group effort. I couldn't have done it without three of my most favorite people, RobsSwissMiss, bierbeck, and Becky_Boodles. You all are just seriously awesome and I love you. Thank you so much for your support. **

**Playlist for this chapter:**

**_Let It Ride_, Ryan Adams**

**_King of New Orleans_, Better Than Ezra**

**_Disclaimer:_ I own a crazy parakeet, a dog named Turtle, and vast collection of RobPorn. Everything else belongs to S. Meyer.**

Beale Street.

Dusky, hot, there's a goat in the lot next door. I'm not sure why the goat is there. There's always been a goat. He spends most of his time standing on the picnic table. Glaring at people who walk by. Business during the day; people shopping, talking, eating, a few tourists who aren't brave enough to come back at night. There's a kid picking an old guitar on the corner. I don't bother to ask why he's not in school. Maybe he is in school. There's a faint breeze rolling in off the river; things will start to get busy soon. Supper time. Then drinking time. Then music. Then more drinking. Then deepness. History. Soul. Brick. Hot. Sad. Wail. Sweat. Electric. Neon. Acoustic. Bible thumpers with their signs. Whores. Handy. Drugs. Satan. College boys. Voodoo. Elvis. Lost. Comfortable. Safe. Home.

A mule cart comes clip clopping down the street and I close my eyes and for a minute, I'm there. I can smell the sweat coming off him, like he smelled during a different time. When he really had to work for his living. Not buggy tourists around downtown with fake flowers and lights strapped to his traces. I feel sorry for him, for a minute only. I've got sugar in my pocket, of course, and he knows it. They always tie up in front of my place. Wait for the next group to come along, looking for an authentic Delta Blues Beale Street experience. Good luck. You won't find it staring at a mule's ass for $40 an hour. Not now, anyway.

I toss my cigarette butt into the gutter, not feeling guilty, because quite frankly the street is disgusting anyway. Memphis In May is finally over, and it will take at least a month for the streets to get back to normal. Jasper and Alice are catering an event at some yuppie McMansion out in Germantown tonight, so I'm on my own in the bar. I give Bill the mule one last slap on the neck, nod to his owner Pops, and head inside. I hear Bill nicker after me and smile to myself, even though I know it's only because I still have a sugar cube in my pocket.

Stepping inside the dark bar, I wait a moment for my eyes to adjust. I look around, sizing the place up, sigh deeply, and flip the lights on. The bar itself is made out of salvaged wood that we brought with us from New Orleans, and there's an eclectic mix of photographs and folk art on the walls. I'd let Alice do what she wanted in the deli, but told her that the bar was off limits. Above the bar is a giant black and white photo of a mule tied up to a parking meter, taken in the 1930s. Some places have a naked lady over the liquor, I have a mule. I named him Faulkner, and he's been privy to some of my deepest secrets, most of them coming forth in a tequila induced manic depressive stupor when everyone else leaves. I talk to him regularly, though, which so far has not seemed to scare away any of the regulars. Memphis is like that.

I glance up at a photograph sitting behind the bar and for a moment my mind flashes back to Decatur Street and the hell that I left behind there.

I followed Jacob to New Orleans. He wanted to open up a tattoo parlor, I wanted to sip hurricanes and learn about the Delta. Of course, it never really occurred to me that opening a shop like that took a lot of money and a lot of hard work, neither of which Jake was willing to expend, nor could he. My best friend Jasper moved down to be closer to me after a few months, and he was my saving grace when things really went south with Jake. At least I had a place to go and a shoulder to cry on the night I walked in on that fucker with an 18 year old stripper. After throwing everything within my reach at the "happy couple", I grabbed my cat Fraggle and my macaw King Louie, and ran to Jasper's, sobbing all the way. Luckily his girlfriend Alice and I had become really close and neither one of them minded having a houseguest. I cried for a day, and then somehow willed the tears to stop. I knew Jake wasn't worth it. But New Orleans was poison to me after that, and when my dad bought two old buildings on Beale Street in Memphis, I knew it was a sign to move. Jasper had always wanted to open a restaraunt and we figured it was now or never.

So now we are the proud owners of High Cotton Deli and Catering. Jasper and Alice run that side of the business; I try to be a silent partner, which is difficult for me at times. Alice turned out to be a fucking pro at baking shit, and with the catering business going strong, it's a pretty successful venture. One side of the building is a deli and we sell sandwhiches, slices of cake, and the best sweet tea this side of the river to tourists and businessmen on their lunch hour. I figured it would also be cool to have a place to sit around and drink, outside of our living room, so I turned what was left of the property into a bar. A lot of the time Jasper stays behind the bar, but on nights like this when they have really big events, it's just me. It's not hard for a bar to make it on Beale; there's a pretty regular string of people looking to drink most nights. I named it The Casino, after a ghost from my past. The place is small; there are only 4 tables and about 15 stools at the bar, but when it's warm out people spill out onto the street. I hate air conditioning, so most nights I just turn the fans on, open the front windows and door, and let the breeze off the river keep the place cool.

"Well Faulkner, I guess we're open for business. Care to take a shot with me? Of course you do," I say to the mule as a I pour myself a shot of Patron.

"Bottoms up, old man."

The tequila rolls down my throat and I feel it settle warmly in the bottom of my stomach. For a second I feel nostalgic and lonely, but I shake it off and plug my iPod into the speaker system. I scroll through my music and settle on my When All Else Fails playlist, and Ryan Adams starts crooning to me. I smile and glance up right as Pops walks through the door and takes his regular seat at the bar. I slide his whiskey to him, pour myself some, and we enjoy each other's quiet company as the sun starts to sink into the Mississippi.

"Well, Miss Bella, I gotta get going. People be finishing up their supper, might be looking to get a ride around downtown tonight. Nice out," Pops says as he slides his empty glass back towards me.

"You wanna sandwich or something before you go? I know there's stuff leftover from lunch," I ask him, hoping he'll say yes. I worry that he doesn't eat enough.

"No ma'am. I best get on. Though I'm sure that old mule out there would like an apple outta your 'fridgerator," he replies with a glint in his eyes.

I smile and take an apple out of the bag at the bottom of fridge, and slice it into quarters for Bill. I follow Pops back out to the street and give Bill his apple a slice at a time, loving the way he savors each cool, sweet piece. Just for good measure he sneezes on me when he's done with the apple and I can't help but laugh at him.

"See you both tomorrow. Don't get into too much trouble tonight," I tell the pair as they head off towards downtown.

I, in turn, head back inside, covered in sticky mule slobber and snot. The funny thing is, it's comforting and familiar and I find myself missing another ghost, one that haunts me regularly. Again, I shake the feeling off and set my mind to business, noticing that the street is starting to fill up. A lot of the people who came to Memphis for the Beale Street Music Festival are still in town, and I figure it's gonna get busy since it's Friday night and the weather is just perfect.

"Hey! You got slot machines in here?" I jump, startled out of my thoughts, and see a group of boys standing in the doorway, looking quite douchey with their collars popped and gelled, spikey hair. I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath, willing myself not to say something bitchy to the first customers I've had all night.

"No, it's just the name. But I'll sell ya well drinks for $4 a pop until 9:00," I say, trying to smile.

They look back and forth at each other, shrug, and decide to come in.

And my night starts.

I never went to bartending school, never really spent much time in a bar, but it's not really rocket science, and when you're working your own place you can pretty much do whatever you want. I have been known to tell somebody that they're ordering a stupid drink and to either decide on something on the rocks or a beer or get the hell out. Most won't argue with you.

The phone rings at about 11:00 while I'm in the middle of making a pitcher of frozen margaritas for a bunch of girls (Yes, frozen margaritas. If looks could kill, their bodies would be lined up on Beale, left to the rats). I grumble and pick it up, but immediately smile when I hear the voice on the other end. I know he'll appreciate the situation.

"Hey sweet thing. We're still going strong out here in no-man's land. These old, rich fuckers can do some eatin'. You doin' ok?" Jasper asks.

"Hey Jas. Yeah, I'm good. Busy, actually. I'm making frozen margaritas," I tell him with a grin.

"Well shit. Don't let me keep you from that. Just wanted to check in. We'll probably be home by 2:00."

"Alright. I'll still be down here. Ya'll be careful coming back into town," I tell him.

"Will do. See ya in a bit. Oh, and try not to kill anybody before we get home," he says as he hangs up.

I roll my eyes and hang up the phone. Oh ye of little faith, I think.

By midnight, things have died down, at least at The Casino. It's a pretty good place to start the night, but we don't let people get too rowdy, so they usually move on to one of the bigger bars, which is just fine with me. There are still a few of the regulars sitting around the bar. They've been talking about heading home for over an hour now, and one by one they finally start to filter out. I'm sad that the hot stranger hasn't made an appearance tonight. He's been in all week, sitting at the end of the bar, drinking whiskey and just generally looking fuckhawt. I haven't worked up the nerve to say anything to him other than to ask him what he wants to drink, but I've caught him staring at me a few times. I keep thinking about crawling across the bar and running my hands through his awesome hair, but that might go beyond the realm of what's socially acceptable.

I light up a cigarette as the last customer walks out and switch my iPod over to Better Than Ezra, because really, every night should end with a little BTE. King of New Orleans is still one of my favorite songs, and despite myself I start to sing along. Halfway through the song, I'm wiping down the bar, belting the lyrics out at the top of my lungs, cigarette hanging out of my mouth, shirt covered in mule snot and frozen margarita, when I look up and see hot stranger standing in my doorway. My smoke literally falls right out of my mouth.

"Um...are you still open?" he says with a wicked grin, knowing he caught me in a pretty private act.

"Yeah. Yes. I mean, sure. Come in. I'm the dumbass who left the front door wide open. I mean, I was gonna wait for my friends to get here before I really shut down, so yeah..." I stutter like a complete social retard.

"I don't want to interrupt. I just got tied up with some, uh, other stuff tonight and could really use a drink," he says, still standing in the doorway, still grinning at me like the fucking devil.

I regain some of my composure and grandly gesture towards him with my hands. "Please, come in. What'll you have?"

"The usual," he smiles.

My stomach flutters and I know I'm in trouble. Partly because he's doing some shifty shit to my psyche with that fucking smirk and partly because I haven't gotten laid in two years and he's just too pretty to not think about what it'd be like. Well, and partly because I've been sneaking shots of tequila for the past three hours. I look down and realize that my still lit cigarette is about to burn a hole in my precious bar, so I grab it and put it out quickly before grabbing a rocks glass out of the sink. Fuck me. This is going to be bad, I think to myself.

"Here you go," I say as I hand him his drink. "So, what brings you to Memphis? You don't seem like you're here on vacation," I ask him, feeling like a complete loser.

"Long story. I think I may be a long term visitor. We'll see how it goes," he replies cryptically. "Have a drink with me?"

Jesus. Ok. It's my bar. I can drink with him, right? Mr. I'm Beautiful And Have Really Hot Sex Hair And Drink Scotch On The Rocks And Grin Like I Either Want To Fuck You Senseless Or Kill You.

So I opt for a beer, because I'm pretty sure that at this point the tequila is going to my head. I keep Woodchuck Cider, my favorite, on draft, even though I'm really the only one who ever drinks it. I light up another cigarette, because I didn't get to finish the first one and I really need something to occupy the hand not holding my beer.

"So long term visitor, huh? I guess I know the feeling. This is one of the first places I've lived where I don't always feel like a long term visitor," I say to him.

He grins at me again. "I know what you mean. So do you live close by?"

"Next door, actually. Um, this is kinda my bar," I say to him, wondering why I'm suddenly bashful of the fact.

"Really? I just figured you worked here. Well, I like your taste in decor. And music. What's with the mule over the bar?" he asks.

That's the last straw. My heart turns to goo. Not only does he offhandedly admit that he likes my favorite band, but he says mule. Not donkey. Not horse. Mule.

"I just like that photograph. The contrast between the mule, the parking meter, the cars parked next to him. People around here still used mules to plow their fields and get around well into the '60s. Plus, I like his eye," I stop as I realize I'm starting to give him a dissertation. "His name is Faulkner."

"Well, in that case, To Faulkner!" he exclaims as he raises his glass. I'm pretty sure I've just gone into heat.

"Cheers, old man," I say to the mule, and take a giant swig of my drink, thinking that I probably need a shot of something strong right about now.

"So forgive me for not introducing myself. All week. I'm Edward," he says as he extends his hand across the bar.

I look down at it for a second before grasping it. For one thing, I'm pretty positive at this point that he may be able to impregnate me just by touching me, and for another, I kind of have weird touching issues, especially with men. But I grab ahold of him anyway and gasp a little at the current that passes between us. He looks up at me, and I'm not sure if the question in his eyes is there because he felt the same thing, or because I hesitated before taking his hand.

"I'm Bella. Nice to meet you, Edward."

"So Bella. How long have you owned this establishment? You don't really seem like the bar-owning type, if you don't mind me saying so," he looks at me curiously.

"Well, it's kind of a long story. It was never really my life's ambition or anything, but I'm happy here," I say, doing my best to avoid an awkward conversation.

"I understand. I'm not exactly doing what I set out to do with my life either. But shit happens, I guess. What exactly _was_ your life's ambition?"

I sigh and realize that I'm gonna need stronger alcohol if we're really going to go there.

"Well, I wanted to be a historian. Work in a museum or something. I went to school and got my degrees and everything, but life brought me here."

"Degrees?" he questions as he raises his eyebrows at me.

"Um, yeah. I have a couple," I say as I turn my back to him and busy myself with trying to find something harder to drink.

"In what?"

"Well, I have a PhD in History. From LSU. I studied the music that came out of the Delta. And I wrote my master's thesis on mules. Hence all the long-ears shit in this place," I said, my back still turned. I'm ashamed that I don't use my education for a damn thing other than to wax poetic about a draft animal and talk to the old musicians who sit around my bar every night.

"Well then, Dr....what's your last name?" he asks.

I huff at him and know that I'm not really doing myself any favors by answering his questions, but I can't help it. "Swan. My last name is Swan."

"Dr. Swan, then," he says, a smile in his voice.

"Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not call me that," I beg.

He remains silent, smirking at me. Well, at least I think he's smirking. My back is still turned.

I grab two shot glasses and rummage around in the back of the fridge, finally finding what I'm looking for. I make a mental note to clean that shit out, because it's starting to become a science experiment.

"Can I interest you in some of North Carolina's finest white lightening?" I turn and ask him, smiling as I hold up a Mason jar of clear liquid. "You're really supposed to sip it, but I can't. Shit's too strong." I fill the shot glasses and pass him one.

"I can't say I've ever had moonshine. Where did you get it? I thought it was illegal," he says as he holds the glass up to the light. I have a feeling that he's lying about never having it before. Only someone who knows what they're looking at holds 'shine up to the light.

"Friends in high places," I say and it's my turn to grin at him. "No, actually, my family is from the mountains. I have a second cousin who still makes a little every year." The ghost flickers over me again, and for the third time that night, I shrug it off.

Edward sips his, but I down mine in one gulp. I shudder and slam the shot glass back onto the bar and he raises his eyebrows at me. I actually blush. It's suddenly warm behind the bar, and I shed my hoodie. I see his eyes widen.

"Yeah, I know. I bet I also don't look the type to have tattoos running down the top of her arm either, do I?"

"No. It's just, well...ok, yes. It's a bit of a surprise. How many layers to you are there?" he asks. The grin is gone. Now his eyes are just...burning into me.

I smile at him. "Probably more than you'll ever want to unearth, Edward."

There is a pregnant silence between us for a moment, and I start to mention to him that I believe now it's my turn to barrage him with questions, but the screen door at the back of the bar swings open and Alice flits inside, twirlling around like a damned wood nymph. She stops suddenly when she spots Edward sitting at the bar. She gets that look in her eye, and I brace myself for the fury that is Alice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. Chapter two! Thanks so much for reading and for all the RTs on Twitter. I really appreciate it. **

**Special thanks to my pre-readers bierbeck and RobsSwissMiss. You all are awesome and I love you. And of course a huge thank you to Becky_Boodles, my spectacular beta and the Woodstock to my Snoopy. If you're not reading her story And Then You, you really should check it out: http[dot]//www[dot]fanfiction[dot]net/s/5594758/1/. It features both an Edward and a Turtle that I am quite fond of. ;) **

**I posted some pictures on my blog: http[dot]//12-North[dot]blogspot[dot]com if you're interested. There's the pic of Faulkner, one of the original Casino (yes, it was a real place!) and a couple of others. **

**Playlist for this chapter:**

**Gomez _Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol_**

**Jim James and Calexico _Goin' to Acapulco_**

**Blind Melon _Mouth Full of Cavities _**

**_Disclaimer_: I own a signed copy of Eudora Welty's _The Eye of the Story_, a big orange horse named Jack, and a pair of bronze mule bookends. Everything else belongs to .**

"Well hi! I'm Alice. God, I can't believe we were out so late. I'm sooooo glad someone was here to keep Bella company. And you are...?" she says, talking a mile a minute.

"Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you Alice. I just happened to wander in as Bella was closing up, and here we are," he says comfortably, glancing at me.

"Well, she doesn't pull out Tommy's liquor for just anyone. You must have said something to impress her, because she's usually a snarky bitch. Or maybe it's your hair...." she smirks at me.

"Alice, for fuck's sake! You are such a lunatic sometimes!" I yell at her, but I can't help but laugh. I'm lucky she just didn't come out and tell the poor guy that I'm probably about as horny as a teenage boy and to just take me upstairs, pound the living hell out of me, and put me out of my misery. We have a silent conversation with each other, and she finally just shrugs and starts mixing a fruity pink drink.

I look at Edward, and he has an amused expression on his face, which is better than the terrified look I was expecting. I open my mouth to try and salvage....something, when Jasper walks through the door and round two starts. Of course Jasper has the fucking bird on his shoulder, and when Louie sees me he starts screeching and cussing.

"Lady! Lady! I fucking need you!" my insecure macaw yells at me.

I just bury my head in my hands. "Jesus Fucking Christ. Welcome to the three-ring circus that is my life."

"Oh, sorry Bells. Didn't realize you had company?" Jasper turns the statement into a question.

"I'm not really company. I just came in for a drink and Bella and I started talking. I'm Edward Cullen, by the way," he says before I can recover enough to properly introduce him.

"Nice to meet you. Jasper Whitlock. And this monster is King Louie. I went next door to change and he was screeching for his mom, so I brought him over," Jasper explains as he shuffles the bird to me. Lou immediately snuggles into the crook of my neck and starts purring like a cat.

"Is it purring?" Edward exclaims.

"Uh, yeah. This is what is produced when I raise something from the time it's born. A bird that cusses and purrs like a cat," I say, my face buried in Louie's feathers because I'm too mortified to face him.

"Another layer, Dr. Swan," he murmurs.

I glance up at him and he's staring at me with the most intense eyes I've ever seen on a person. It's unsettling, really, like he knows more than he's letting on or something. I can't even think of a response.

"Can I pet him?" he asks.

"You can try. He can be a little antisocial," I warn.

"Wonder where he gets that from?" Alice shoots from across the bar. I flip her off with my free hand, but smile behind her back.

Edward reaches towards the bird, who is still nestled in my neck. Louie cocks his head at the stranger and then hisses at him. He _fucking hisses_ at him. Edward recoils his hand and laughs.

"I guess that's a no, huh? Maybe someday, though," he says and then actually winks at me. Who the fuck winks anymore? I am so mortified at this point I just want the floor to swallow me whole.

"Well, I really should be going. It's not often that I shut down a bar," Edward laughs.

"Hey, it was nice meeting you man. Come back," Jasper says, glancing at me.

"Yeah, definitely. Tomorrow is Saturday, we'll all be here. Good times," Alice says, innocently sipping her pink shit.

"Maybe I will. It was nice meeting you. Goodnight. Well, I guess good morning at this point," Edward says to them and then turns towards the front door.

Jasper is behind me, and he shoves me a little in Edward's direction, taking Louie from me. I sigh, and start towards the front as well.

"Hey, I'll walk you out. I need to lock up the front and cut the sign off anyway," I call after him.

Edward turns and smiles, waiting for me at the front of the bar. We walk outside onto the curb, and I relish in the dark, calm, quiet street. This is the only time of day or night that it's really quiet on Beale and I like to listen to it breathe. I take a deep breath of my own and turn towards Edward, who is standing in front of me.

"I'm glad I wandered in here again tonight, Bella," he says.

"Yeah, me too. You know, I'm here every night, if, you know, you wanted to come back sometime," I stutter.

"I'd really like that," he says as his hand brushes down my right arm, across my ink. I look up into his face and that intense smouldering is back in his eyes and I really want to just attack him right then and there. He leans in and his lips brush past my ear and down my jaw, and I shiver as he says, "It was nice to meet you. I think I'll be back."

With that, he steps off the curb and into the street, leaving me gasping at the intensity of it. I watch him walk into the darkness, and when I can't see him anymore, I turn around and shut the sign off, go back inside, and lock the door behind me. I take a minute to catch my breath before turning around and facing my two best friends, who are staring at me like I've just introduced them to an alien.

"..That?!?" Alice screeches at me. "Jesus, he was sex on a stick." She glances at Jasper, "Sorry baby. But he was." Jasper just smiles and shakes his head.

"God Alice. Bring it down an octave. I don't know. He came in right as I was getting ready to close everything down. We just started talking. It was almost like we'd known each other for years. Or longer..." I trailed off.

"Well then you know he's definitely part of your soul group. I mean, you are quite possibly the most withdrawn person I know," Alice states with an air of authority.

I try to interject, but she just keeps talking.

"I mean, for someone to come in here and for you to connect to him like that, well, that's something. That's really something. Do you think he's gonna come back? I hope he does." She stops to take a breath and I jump in.

"He said he wanted to come back. He said, 'I think I'll be back.' What does that mean? That he really will come back? Jesus I sound like a jackass. Whatever. If he does, he does," I resign.

"No, he will Bells. I can feel it," she smiles and hugs me. "Have a drink with me? You too Jasper. Then I want to go to bed. Those old farts in Germantown really wore me down."

Alice is like a hummingbird on crack sometimes. I'm exhausted just from being in the same room with her for 30 minutes.

"Alright. One drink," Jasper says. He's been quiet through all this, and I wonder what he's thinking. He's my family; kind of like my dad and my brother all rolled into one. His opinion is the most important thing in the world to me. But I think that maybe I'm getting ahead of myself in all this. I mean, it's not like I'm marrying this guy or anything. I hardly fucking know him. I resolve right then and there to slow my roll because getting optimistic about something is only going to bring me grief. Jasper brings me my bird and smiles and I stop worrying because I know that if he's smiling, there's nothing to worry about.

The three of us (and one bird) stand around the old bar and share one last drink before night turns into dawn and we have to get up and do it all over again tomorrow. I revel in the comfort and understanding that we share with each other and the ghost only returns for a split second, making me miss things that I've lost. But for the last time that night, I shrug it off. And for the first time in a really long time, I look forward to what might be ahead.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

I roll over and blink at the sunlight filtering through my window and I'm scared to even look at the clock. Last night was late, even for us, and I always feel like a worthless sack of shit when I sleep too late. Fraggle is standing over me, giving me the Kitty Death stare, which is cute coming from a little teeny kitten, but from my cougar-sized fluffmonster, it's a pretty good incentive to get out of bed.

"Ok, ok. I'm up. I know you're starving to death. So neglected," I mumble to him.

He mewls at me as I sit up and hesitate for a minute as the events of the previous night come rushing back.

"I don't know what the fuck happened to your mom last night, Fraggs. I feel like I was in the Twilight Zone or something. Could have been the moonshine. And tequila. And scotch. And beer."

I swear I'm not an alcoholic, but I have a nasty habit of drinking when I'm anxious, and when it's just sitting right in front of you (the alcohol _and_ the source of the anxiety) it's tough to abstain.

The cat and I pad into the kitchen and I notice that Alice and Jasper are still asleep. I dump a can of food into Fraggle's dish, which he scarfs down like it's his last meal, and put some water in the kettle for tea. I stare out into the back alley, watching the neighbour goat dig through the garbage as I sip my tea. It's oddly comforting.

I quietly get dressed and head next door to check on the ladies in the kitchen and to make sure that Leah has showed up to open the deli in time for lunch.

"Hey Miss Leena," I say to the woman who works in the kitchen. "It's hot out today, isn't it?"

"Lord yes. How you doin'? I got the chicken salad made and I'm workin' on the cakes now. Tryin' to get it done 'fore it gets too hot. And I told Jasper I'd fry some chicken for the weekend too," she replies, smiling.

"I'm fine thanks. Jasper and Alice are still asleep. They were out to Germantown til pretty late last night. I'll be around if you need anything. Is Leah here?" I ask.

"Yeah, she's up front. Ready to go ahead and open for lunch, I believe," she replies, not looking up from the giant bowl of cake batter.

"Alright. Well, I'm gonna run up to the post office and then do some other errands. Give me a call if you need anything."

"Will do. Here, take this sandwich and give it to Pops," she says as she hands me an egg salad sandwich wrapped in wax paper.

"Yes ma'am," I tell her and head around to the front of the building.

Pops and Bill are there, and I smile as Bill nickers to me.

"Hey boy," I say to him as I smile up to Pops. "Think I can get a ride up to the post office? I can pay in lunch," I tell him as I hold the sandwich up.

"I think we can arrange that, Miss Bella," he grins back me.

I climb up into the carriage, and Bill lurches forward into the street. Pops hands me the reins and settles back to eat his sandwich, and I guide the mule down the fairly deserted street. Things get a little trickier when we reach the end of Beale and have to contend with motor traffic, but I love driving the mule through the streets. When we get to the post office, I hand the reins back to Pops and hop down, sneaking Bill a sugar cube.

"Thanks for the lift! I can walk home when I'm done. Come back 'round tonight; I think we're going to grill some steaks out back of the bar," I say to Pops.

"Alright then," he nods and then steers the mule back out into traffic towards a family of tourists who are eyeing the carriage.

I drop the bills off at the post office and check our box, which is full of junk mail and a birthday card from my grandmother with a $10 bill in it. I pocket the cash and chuck the card in the trash, along with all the junk mail, and head back out into the muggy, late May heat. I really need to go to the grocery store, if nothing else than to get cat food so I don't mysteriously die in my sleep, but I really can't be bothered. So I just head back towards Beale, thinking about tonight, and wondering if the mysterious Edward Cullen will show up.


	3. Chapter 3

**And here we go with chapter three! Thanks again for reading and reviewing. It really validates my life. ;) Special, special thanks and inappropriate ass grabs to my prereaders RobsSwissMiss and bierbeck and to my beta, Becky_Boodles. I love you all for constantly talking me away from the ledge. And RSM, it's great to have you back. I've missed you. :) **

**Playlist for this chapter:**

**Guster: _Great Escape  
_Better Than Ezra: _Get You In  
_Blind Melon: _Galaxie_**

**Disclaimer: I own two plane tickets to Chicago, a pitbull named after a Sublime song, and a mule shoe from the battle of Petersburg. Everything else belongs to SMeyer. **

"Did you go to the store?" Jasper asks me when I walk up.

"No. I'm super fucking fail today, Jas," I sigh. "I'll go back out if you make me a list. I'm just....blah. I don't know."

"There's a list on the counter," he smiles at me. "I'll go if you really don't want to."

"I'm on it. Really. Where's Alice? Maybe I'll drag her with me."

"She was finishing up a cake that needs to be delivered to Collierville. Ride with her and then you can stop on the way back into the city."

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll get the bar open tonight if you close for me," I say to him.

"Sounds like a plan," he replies, and then continues unloading the food delivery.

The goat has squeezed himself through the wrought iron fence between the two properties and is standing in our back lot contemplating our garbage. I grab him by the collar despite his noisy protests and shove him back through the hole he escaped from.

"There, you miserable flea bag. Stay on your side. You're a cranky old fucker, you know that?" I waggle my finger in his face and he just bleats angrily at me.

"Well, Dr. Swan. Talking to goats now?"

I jump and spin around, coming face to face with none other than Edward Cullen, Mystery Man Sex Hair God.

"Fuck, Cullen! Where the hell did you come from?" I exclaim.

"Sorry. Jasper said you were back here and pointed me through the back door of the deli," he replies with a grin.

"Oh. Ok. Well hi. Yeah, sorry. That damn goat just won't stay in his own yard. He comes over here and knocks over the trash and it kinda makes me want to kill him," I say, turning and glaring back at the goat.

Edward chuckles to himself and raises his eyebrow at me.

"What? It's seriously annoying," I say grumpily. "So, did you need something? A goat, perhaps? He's all yours, free to a good home!" I gesture towards the goat once again, who is still shooting daggers at me.

"No, I was just going to see if the invitation to come back over tonight still stands. But if you're not in the mood to socialize, I will gladly take a rain check. And no, no goat," he says.

"I wouldn't have invited you back if I didn't want you to come, Edward," I say. I realize that I'm being a bitch and probably ruining any chance I have with this guy. "Yes. It would be nice if you'd come back tonight. I'm sorry I'm being a bitch. It's just hot out and I really don't want to go to the grocery store. Do you want to come inside and continue this conversation there before I burst into flames?"

He smiles at me. "Lead the way."

I turn towards the building we live in. The first floor is really just living space. Jasper put in a wet bar so that if people are over we don't have to trudge up and down the stairs for drinks and shit. The kitchen and bedrooms are on the second floor. Fraggle is waiting for me at the door and I scoop him up as I enter.

"Jesus, that's the biggest cat I've ever seen," Edward says from behind me.

I laugh. "He's a Maine Coon. They get pretty big. His name is Fraggle, and he's a lot nicer than the bird." Edward reaches out to pet him, and Fraggs butts his head up against his hand. _Good kitty...be nice to the hot stranger_, I think to myself. I dump the cat, who almost comes up to my knees, back onto the floor and lead Edward up to the second story and into the kitchen.

I walk around the island, and once again, I'm on one side of the bar and Edward is on the other. I'm beginning to not like this arrangement. I hoist myself up on the counter and watch him gaze around the house.

"So. This is where you live. With Alice and Jasper?" he asks.

"Yeah. Somehow I can share space with them. Unbelievable, I know. But we get along really well. I feel like you know more about me than some people I've known for years. What's your deal? Why are you in Memphis? And why are you being so nice to me? I'm not used to it," I say to him, looking down at the floor.

"You're not used to people being nice to you? That's fucked up Bella," he says seriously as he drags his hands through his hair. I shrug and he continues, "Why I'm here...it's kind of a long story. I had some shit I needed to get away from, I guess."

"What kind of shit did you need to get away from? Crazy ex wife? 13 kids?" I ask, trying to make a joke, but I think it comes off as serious. Which it is.

He laughs sadly. "No, nothing like that. Family stuff mostly. Family as in mom and dad. No kids, no wife, no crazy girlfriend," he holds his hands up like he's surrendering something to me.

"I can understand that, I guess." I decide that I'm done talking about family. "So how long have you been in Memphis?"

"Well, about 10 days now. All I've really seen is the inside of my hotel room and your bar. And well, now your kitchen," he replies with a sheepish grin.

"Hmmmm. Well, I guess I could show you around. If you're interested in whatever kind of fucked up tour I'd probably give you. I mean, you have to go to Graceland. Oh, and the Pink Palace. They have shrunken heads," I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Sounds fun. Name the time and I'll be here."

I smile at him, and suddenly notice that he's inched his way around the kitchen island and is now leaning up against it right in front of me.

"So," I say as hop down off the counter. "Yes. Tonight. Then Graceland. Then shrunken heads. Sounds like my idea of a good time." I am hyper-aware of how close he is to me now, and while part of me is excited about it, part of me is screaming at him to back the fuck out of my space. "I have to go to the grocery store. With Alice. I was supposed to go earlier but I'm a lazy fuck, so now I'm gonna be in a hurry," I babble to him.

"Ok. What time should I come back tonight?" he asks.

"Um, probably around 7:30? We're going to cook some food out back. Just come to the bar. It'll be open," I tell him.

"See you then, Bella," he says as he turns to walk back downstairs. I realize I'm once again acting like a jackass.

"I'll walk down with you," I call after him. This is the second time I've practically kicked him out the door without even saying goodbye. "I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be allowed out in public sometimes. I have no social skills."

"Bella, stop apologizing for the way you are. It's frustrating. I'm just trying to get to know you, lack of social skills and all," he says softly to me.

"I guess that's it. I just don't understand why you want to get to know me. I mean, you just showed up in my bar this week and now here we are," I gesture back and forth between us, "and I just, I just don't get it."

"I was walking down Beale Street when I first got to town, and I didn't want to go into Hard Rock or Have a Nice Day Cafe or any other lame place like that. I saw your bar and it just sort of called to me. And then I saw you behind the bar and I was just intrigued. And the more I talk to you, the more intrigued I am. And I think maybe it was you that was calling to me, not the bar," he looks down at his feet.

I just stare at him. I'm not gonna lie, I was sort of thinking the same thing, but I wouldn't have had the balls to say it. I would have just stumbled along, probably until I fucked something up big time and it was over.

"Please say something," he looks up at me.

"I'll probably screw this up. Whatever it is."

He just shakes his head and smiles at me. There's a hint of sadness in his eyes, and I feel like I've already started in on the fuckery, but I smile at him because I really want him to be intrigued by me. Whatever that means.

He leans forward and runs his hand down my arm like he did last night, and I close my eyes and breathe him in. He pulls his hand back up to my face and cups my cheek. I open my eyes and stare back into his green eyes and I'm scared shitless. No man besides Jasper has been this close to me in years, but I don't want him to move. He drops his hand and grabs mine, pulling it to his mouth and kisses my knuckles.

"I'll see you in a little bit, Bella."

I can't speak, so I just watch him turn and walk out my back door and when it clicks shut, I collapse on the welcome mat. Fraggle settles himself in my lap, and I sit there until Alice flings the door open and almost trips over us.

"Why the hell are you on the floor, Bells? Get up. We have to go to the store before Mr. OCD Food Freak out there has a shitfit."

"I don't know why I'm on the floor. Fuck me. Ok. Getting up," I say as I hoist myself off the floor. "I'm ready. I'll take a shower when we get back."

I follow Alice out to the van, lighting up a cigarette on the way and trying to recall exactly what happened back there.

"So I saw Edward came by," Alice says, cutting her eyes to me.

"Yeah. He's coming back tonight. He said I intrigued him. Whatever the fuck that means," I say as I take a long drag and blow the smoke out into the muggy afternoon.

"Oooo...intrigue. That's sexy and mysterious, Bells. I like it."

"I don't know, Alice. It's just all so much. I mean, 2 years--nothing! And then this guy walks in and turns everything upside down. I don't like not having a firm handle on things, you know?"

Alice chokes on her water. "A firm handle on things? Oh my god Bella. I'm not gonna touch that one with a 10 foot stick. But really, just relax. He seems like a nice guy. And if he's a serial killer, at least he'll look beautiful while he murders you," she giggles.

"That's really helpful Alice. Thanks."

Two hours later, we've delivered a cake to some rich little snot's sweet sixteen party and spent an ungodly amount of money at Whole Foods. Jasper meets us around back and helps unload the groceries, taking the stuff for dinner directly into the bar. There are a lot of Saturday nights where we do this; cook a bunch of food early in the evening and eat with each other and a lot of the regulars who come in. The back door of the bar opens onto the patio and Jasper already has the grill and some tables set up. He starts getting the food ready to cook, and I run into the house to shower.

"Hey Lady," I hear as I walk in the door.

"Well hello King Louie. How's it going, man?" I ask the bird, smiling.

"I need a drink."

"Oh really? What kind of drink, Lou?"

"Scotch. On the rocks."

I laugh, even though I've heard him say it a thousand times. "Comin' right up. You're a lunatic, you know that?"

"Takes one to know one," he says and then squawks loudly and goes back to the fruit that Jasper has apparently given him for dinner.

I head upstairs and jump in the shower, thinking about whether or not I should make some effort with my clothing for the evening. I decide I can't really be bothered and know that Alice will probably give me shit for it when I get back downstairs. But I figure I might as well be comfortable in my clothes since I'll be uncomfortable...elsewhere, so I just throw on a pair of jeans and tank top, throw my hair up on top of my head and shrug my shoulders at my reflection.

"All right Fraggs," I say to the cat who's sitting in the bathroom sink. "Here we go. Pound it." I extend my fist to him and he just stares at me like I'm nuts. "Fine. Don't pound it. You're the one sitting in the sink. Don't look at me like that."

I head back downstairs and take one last, deep breath before heading back out to the patio. I stop and stare as I step out the back door. In 30 minutes, Alice has turned the kind-of grubby patio into something unrecognizable. She's strung lights and put cloths and candles on the tables, and hung lanterns all over. It really is beautiful, and I smile because I know why she's done it.

"Wow, Alice. It looks beautiful out here. Why haven't we done this before?"

"Never really had a reason to," she says as she whirls past me.

"Well, we should leave it up. I like it," I tell her as I head into the bar to get it ready to open.

I walk to the front and unlock the door and switch the sign on. I love my sign. It was here when we bought the place, and probably here before that. It says "Blues Hall" in blue neon, and underneath that simply says "Juke Joint." If anything ever happened to it I would be really, really pissed. I look up at Pops and Bill and gesture for Pops to come on in, and then feel bad and walk over anyway to give Bill a sugar cube.

"Don't sneeze on me tonight, son. I just took a shower," I say to the mule. He turns his head so he can get a good look at me past his blinders, and then turns back around and spares my shirt. Pops climbs down out of the carriage and secures Bill to the hitching post. I smile to myself because I cannot imagine the mule taking off by himself, but I guess stranger things have happened.

"Sure could use a drink, Miss Bella. Hot one today. Can't stay long, though. Oughta get that mule outta his harness 'fore it starts rubbin' him."

"Well come on in and I'll see what I can do for you," I smile as we walk back through the front door of the bar.

A few other people have trickled in and Alice is behind the bar. I relieve her and tell her to go out and help Jasper. I plug in my iPod and hit shuffle, and the first song that comes up is my most favorite song in the whole world and I can't help but sing along.

"_They wanna know, if we can get away_..." I sing as I pour Pops his scotch and slide a few beers to the guys sitting down the bar. This is gonna be a good night, I tell myself.

We get busy almost immediately. A group of college-aged kids come in and take up about two and a half tables and the regulars fill the bar stools. I'm happy and almost content with the way the night is shaping up. There's always that thought in the back of my head that something bad is gonna happen, but it never really goes away and I've gotten pretty good at ignoring it.

"Hey! Can we get a refill on this pitcher?" a loud yell snaps me out of my daydreaming. I look up and see one of the college kids standing up at a table, holding an empty pitcher.

"What the fuck do I look like? Walk your ass up to the bar and get it yourself!" I yell and smile at the same time, reaching for a clean pitcher. He looks terrified for a second and then realizes that I'm mostly joking. I hand him his refill and he smiles sheepishly at me while his friends laugh.

Alice comes back in and tries to convince me to go outside and eat, but I'm on a roll at the bar and pretty happy where I'm at. Just as she walks around to help me out, the song changes and Freddy Mercury starts singing _Fat Bottomed Girls_ to us. I know what's coming as Alice shrieks and hoists herself up on to the bar, reaching down for me. I slam back the shot of tequila that I've just poured for a customer and hoist myself up next to her. We sing and dance on the bar and I'm in hysterics by the end of the song. We both jump down to the entire place applauding us and as Alice twirls me around one last time, just for good measure, but mid-twirl I'm locked onto a set of blazing green eyes staring up at me. I start to feel mortified for a split second, and then shake out of it, remembering that this is my place, and my family, and just...fuck it. I grin at him and pour myself another shot just in time for Jasper to walk in and relieve me.

I grab a beer, a bottle of tequila, and two shot glasses and half dance over to him. The liquor is starting to settle and as a result, I grab him by the belt loop and pull him towards me and the back door. I walk backwards, dragging him with me until I bump into the screen door and almost trip and kill myself.

"Ok, so walking backwards and trying to be all sultry and shit is obviously not gonna work for me," I laugh.

"No, it's working quite well. I promise." He reassures.

"Alright. Well, before I twist an ankle and have to go to the ER and really ruin the night, I'm gonna turn around and walk like a normal person," I say to him. At this point he's about an inch from my mouth and I just want suck on his bottom lip. And I'm wondering if he hasn't picked up on Manic Bella yet. He gestures to me to turn around, so I do. Then I feel him put his hand on my lower back, under my tank top and then slide it down to the top of my jeans. He threads his long fingers through my belt loops and he follows me out onto the patio.

We sit down at the table, where Jasper has left enough food to feed an army. It's dusky and muggy and there are bullfrogs singing down on the river and I take a deep breath and feel the night wash over me again. Bill brays from around the front of the building and music carries out from the bar and Blind Melon makes me miss New Orleans.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asks softly, and I realize I've been in my own little world longer than socially acceptable.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Just the frogs and Bill and fuck, I love Blind Melon. Shannon Hoon was just a fucking god, you know? And New Orleans. I was thinking about New Orleans," I look up at him.

"That's a lot in one sentence," he laughs. "Who's Bill?" he asks and I sense a hint of jealously in his voice and my sort-of drunk self likes this.

"Bill is...well, he's just Bill. He's my love and he keeps me grounded some days and reminds me why I'm here," I say and I realize I'm talking in riddles again. "Bill's the mule tied up out front, Edward."

He laughs. "That makes sense, then. What was in New Orleans to make you miss it?"

"We would be here all night talking about New Orleans. I love the city. I love the way it sounds, the way it smells, the way it looks, the people. It haunts me and I miss it so much, but I can't go back there," I say as I pour two shots and slide one towards him.

"Why?" he inquires. I knew that was coming.

"Bad energy." I clink his glass and take the shot and take comfort in the warmth that slides down my throat. "But I don't want to talk about it. What about you? I feel like you owe me some answers."

"Answers about what?"

I'm getting bored with the cryptic, poetic bullshit and I know it's my fault. "I don't know Edward. Like, where the fuck did you come from? Why are you here? Are you going to kill me in my sleep one night? Do you do something to your hair to make it look like that or is it just naturally fuckhawt?"

He laughs. "Uh, no my hair is just...out of control. I gave up on it a long time ago." He tugs on it with his equally as fuckhawt fingers and I think about sucking again. "I already told you why I'm here. I needed a break from my family. My dad owns a chain of outpatient clinics and was thinking about opening a few around here, so I volunteered to come down and scout things out. And no, I have no plans of killing you in your sleep."

"Well that's a relief. So are you planning on staying for awhile?"

"Maybe. I like it down here. It's so different from what I'm used to. If dad decides to go ahead and build down here, I might stay on and manage the businesses. It's far enough away from Washington that they'll probably leave me to it."

"So what, it's like a Doc in the Box? I fucking hate those places."

"Yeah, I guess it is. I would never work in one, but I think I could handle managing it."

"You're a doctor? Jesus fuck Edward! And here you were giving me shit. Asshole," I declare jokingly. "Ok. Enough of this 'let's get to know each other bullshit,'" I say as I pour more tequila. "I need to eat something or else you're going to be dragging my passed out drunk ass up those stairs later."

He laughs and passes me a plate and we eat in relative silence. I can feel myself slipping back into my introspective, glass is half-empty self, so I stand up and reach out for Edward's hand.

"Wanna go back inside?" I ask.

"Yeah sure," he replies as he grabs my hand. Before I can turn around and lead him back into the bar, he pulls me closer and I'm staring into his beautiful green eyes thinking about sucking on that bottom lip again. He leans towards me and his lips brush mine and I'm suddenly not scared of him touching me any more. I reach up into his hair and pull him even closer to me and my lips crash into his and he groans as I slip my tongue into his mouth. He kisses me back and I see stars and realize that I may pass out so I pull away, finally getting to suck on his lip before I detach myself from his face. He leans his forehead against mine and takes a deep breath. I realize that I need to appreciate the fact that somehow he understands how hard this is for me, even though he knows nothing about the reasons why.

"Ok. We can go back in now," he says as he leans back and kisses my forehead. He wraps his arm around my waist and leads me back into the bar. I'm still not able to form coherent sentences as we go through the door and I lean against him and really enjoy the fact that he's holding me up.

"I'm gonna go grab a pitcher of beer. What do you want? Scotch?" I ask him.

"Sure, that's fine," he says into my ear.

Swoon. "Ok. Go. Sit. I'll be right back," I tell him.

I walk around the bar where Jasper is actually pretty busy and grab a pitcher. As I start to fill it up with Woodchuck, he makes his way over to me and I can tell he's concerned.

"You ok, baby? I know there's a lot of people in here." I smile because I know he's indirectly asking me if I'm ok with Edward, not just the crowd.

"Yeah, Jas. I am. Really ok, I think. Are you good? I feel bad for ditching you."

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Alice is over there playing Asshole with those college kids," he laughs and points. I look over and see Alice sitting at the head of two pushed-together tables, throwing cards like a wild woman.

"Oh my god," I laugh. "They won't know what hit them. Alright. Just yell if you need a break. We're over there in the corner," I motion with the bottle of Scotch.

"Sure thing."

I head back towards Edward and I get all gushy and warm and shit when he smiles at me. I'm turning into a right jackass over this guy. But goddammit I haven't been kissed like that since, well, forever, to be honest. I was with Jake for almost 10 years and I never felt like that with him. Mostly I didn't even want him near me. And now I don't want Edward away from me. It's gonna take some getting used to, and I'm still pretty sure that I'll do something to fuck it up. But for right now, I just want to sit down and drink and be comfortable. And maybe dance on the bar again later in the evening.

"Scotch." I say as I place the bottle in front of him.

"Why, yes, that is Scotch. Thank you," he laughs as he pours some of it into the rocks glass that I've also schlepped down in front of him.

"So I think we should do something other than hang out in my bar and drink. Do you want to go to Graceland tomorrow?" I ask him.

"Yes. Definitely. I feel like that's something I should do before I get too settled in here. I mean, every good Memphian needs to visit Graceland, right?"

"No doubt. It's a hot fucking mess, let me tell you. Oh, and we should go to Sun Studio too. It's right around the corner. It's really cool. The energy in that place is amazing and there's an X on the floor where Elvis stood and recorded," I tell him. I'm getting excited about being a tour guide. Go figure.

"I am at your beck and call. Wherever you go, I will follow," Edward says grandly.

I laugh. "You'll probably rethink that after you spend a reasonable amount of time with me sober."

"I doubt that, Bella. But there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" he grins wickedly at me.

I just smile at him and finish my beer. Mysterious and intriguing. That's me.

_Get You In_ by Better Than Ezra starts playing over the speakers and I immediately turn around and look at Jasper who's settling my iPod back into the cradle, and he shrugs and grins at me.

"3...2....1," I say to Edward who looks at me confused. Just then, as I had anticipated, Alice twirls over and grabs me up out of my chair and hauls me over to an open area and we start dancing. I'm not a dancer, really, but I'm on an Edward high and I'm a little drunk and it's Saturday night. We spin around and dance with each other and I can feel Edward's eyes on me. I love it. I've always said that this is the best song to have sex to and I find myself wondering if I'm going to get to prove that point any time soon. The song ends and Alice drapes herself over me and tells me that she loves me, and then runs back to the card game that I'm sure she is owning. I turn and walk back over to our table and Edward's eyes startle me. They are dark and hooded and he looks like he wants to attack me. In a good way, but it's still a little unsettling.

"I need a cigarette and some fresh air," I tell him.

"Mind if I join you?"

"I figured you would." Mysterious. Be mysterious.

I decide I need the upper hand, so I go out the front door this time and into the relatively crowded street. Pops is still in the bar, so I ask Edward if he'd like to meet my Bill.

"I'd be honoured," he replies.

We walk over to where the mule is tied up and he nickers at me and strains against his harness. I reach into my pocket and find a mint to offer him. I love the feel of his whiskers on my palm and the smell of his hot, horsey breath. I kiss the soft part at the base of his ear and breathe him in for a second and I'm grounded again.

"Sorry. You probably didn't need to witness my make-out session with the mule, huh?" I say as I turn towards Edward.

"No, it's actually pretty cute," he smiles.

"Cute?" I laugh. "Ok. Well, Edward, this is Bill. Bill, Edward," I jokingly introduce the two.

Bill cranes his head so he can see past the blinders and stares Edward down. He apparently decides that Edward passes inspection, because he does a cough/sneeze thing at him and then turns around with the flick of an ear.

"I think that means he likes you," I say as I light up a cigarette. "I'm sorry. I know it's a gross habit. Nerves."

"It honestly doesn't bother me. I smoked for years. Just recently quit, again, but it probably won't last long."

"Really? Well I'd hate to be a bad influence."

He just stares at me. I'm kind of digging making him speechless.

"Is that Bill on your arm?" he finally speaks.

I look down at my shoulder and realize that I've just recently lost the upper hand in this situation. "Yeah, that's Bill. When I first moved to Memphis, I was in pretty bad shape. I had lost a lot of...um, things, that were important to me and I was really depressed. Pops was here every day with Bill and he just reminded me of home and what I'd lost. I feel safe and comfortable when I'm with him. So I added him to my arm so he'd always be with me."

Edward reaches up and traces the picture of the mule and looks at me with sad eyes, but he doesn't say anything.

"Don't look at me like that, Edward. Really, it's cool. I didn't mean to fucking word vomit at you. I am so goddamned manic sometimes. Up and down. And you keep asking me about shit that makes me remember," I quietly laugh. I stub my cigarette out and then immediately light up another one because I really didn't mean to go there, but now that I've arrived I need a smoke.

"I'm sorry Bella. I shouldn't have asked. I could tell it obviously meant a lot to you, and I'm just trying to figure you out. I hope I didn't ruin the evening," he said, almost pleading with me. I back up a few steps so that I'm leaning on Bill's shoulder. I need the support.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm a fucking lunatic. This is what I was talking about when I said I didn't want to fuck this up. Really, I'm sorry."

"Please, please stop apologizing to me. It's making me insane. It makes me feel bad because I'm saying things that obviously make you think you need to apologize. Please."

"See, Edward, that's my problem. I drive people away because I assume they don't want to be around me. I'm sorry. I mean, a lot of it comes from my douche bag ex who told me that he cheated on me because I was so fucking crazy and he couldn't deal with it anymore. I probably shouldn't bring that up right now, huh?" I glance up at him as I flick the stub of my cigarette out into the gutter.

"Well, I don't think we need to air out all of our dirty laundry right this minute. I've got shit too, Bella. And believe me, you're not going to scare me off because you're 'crazy.'" He does air-quotes and I can't help but smile. "Let's just _be_, ok?"

I sigh. "Ok. You're right. I'm sorry for my mini break down. I over analyze shit. A lot. If you couldn't already tell."

"So will you step away from the mule and come back inside with me now? I'll hold you up for awhile if you'll let me."

And just like that, Jesus fucking Christ I have tears in my eyes. How could this guy, who's known me for all of 24 hours, have figured me out so quickly? I take a step forward and he reaches a hand out for me, and at the same time Bill leans into me, pushing me towards him. I smile and grab Edward's hand and he closes it tight around mine, pulling me to him. He reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, leaving his hand on my jaw and raising my eyes up to meet his.

"Why do you have tears in your eyes?" he asks as he leans down and kisses one eye and then the other. "No more, ok? It's all good. I promise."

"Heightened emotions make me cry. Happiness, anger, fear, extreme hunger...I'm a nut, remember?" I smile at him.

"Well, you know what? It takes one to know one," he teases. I burst into hysterics and he looks at me confused.

"My bird says that to me all the time. I tell him he's insane and he says it takes one to know one. I think you and my animals are plotting against me," I laugh.

"I have a feeling that may be the way to your heart. I'm not as slow on the uptake as I first seem," he grins.

"No, that's a pretty astute observation, Cullen. You'd be wise to remember it," I say and then turn to head back inside. I'm happy because I think we've manage to salvage the evening and he seems happy and that's suddenly really important to me. I lead him back through the door with a smile on my face, and I notice the relief that washes over Jasper as we walk back inside. I didn't even think of the fact that he'd be worried about me outside alone with Edward. He would have been able to see us through the front windows and I'm sure when he saw me back up into Bill he freaked out a little. I make a mental note to talk with him later tonight when we're alone.

We spend the rest of the night talking about stupid shit and drinking and when things finally calm down, Jasper and Alice sit down at the table with us and Alice breaks out the deck of cards. We play Spades for a bit and then I start yawning because I'm absolutely wrecked, in a pretty good way.

"Well, I think we've shut the place down," Jasper says after he notices how tired I am. "I'm gonna go wipe the bar down."

This is gonna be fucking awkward, I think. I mean, am I supposed to just kick Edward out? Invite him over to the house? Tell him I want to fuck him senseless even though I know that's not a good idea at this juncture? Luckily he keeps me from having a panic attack once again.

"Walk me out, Bella?" Edward asks.

"Yeah, definitely," I reply as I stand up. I head towards the door and he follows with his hand on the small of my back. We head out through the front door, and I pull it shut and turn off the sign. I turn around to face Edward and he grabs my hips and pulls me to him, his lips crashing into mine for the second time tonight. He desperately pushes his tongue into my mouth and I can't help but grab onto his hair and pull him closer to me. He turns and backs me up against the brick that's still warm from the hot May sun and my body ignites. He groans and pulls at my hips again and I think he feels like he can't get close enough to me either. He finally pulls back and we both try to catch our breath; he's panting and his eyes are dark and his hair is all over the place from my hands being in it. He slides his hands up my sides until he is cupping my head in them and pulls me towards him again and kisses me slowly and sweetly, but the desperation is still there. I want him so badly and it freaks me the fuck out because I don't want to get hurt again. I can't. But I look into his eyes and I feel like he's not going to hurt me. Even Bill pushed me towards him. So in that moment, I make myself let go and I kiss him back and I just am.

"I want to ask you to come back to my hotel with me. But I'm not going to. Because it's too soon," he says in the roughest, sexiest voice I have ever heard. "But I just want you to know I was thinking it. Because you need to understand how badly I want you."

"Fuck it. I'll go. Let's go. Come on," I sputter. Way to be a slut, Bella.

He laughs. "No, not tonight. Gotta keep you on your toes, Dr. Swan," he grins at me.

I run my hand through my own hair this time. "Ok." I take a deep breath and center myself. "Tomorrow. Graceland? Meet me here around noon? I want to go to the barn in the morning."

"Sounds great. I can't wait, Bella," he says as he leans in and kisses that soft spot behind my ear and I moan like a fucking cat in heat. He heads out into the dark street, lit by the neon signs that are turning off one by one and I watch him disappear into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for coming back! Special hugs and kisses to bierbeck and RobsSwissMiss for prereading, and to Becky_Boodles for being an awesome beta. You guys are too nice to me. **

**This one goes out to my sweet boy Jack, who two years ago this week went into a surgery that I was scared he wasn't going to come out of. Fortunately, he did and he's been healthy and happy for over a year now. He is my Bill and I lean on him often. :) **

**Playlist for this chapter: **

**Tom Petty: _Have Love Will Travel  
_Ween: _Voodoo Lady_  
Elvis Presley: _Devil In Disguise  
_Band of Horses: _Part One_**

**There'll be more at the end because I'm a wordy bitch, but I'll shut up for now. **

**_Disclaimer:_ I own a signed copy of Guster's _Lost and Gone Forever_, a jar of moonshine that's been sitting in my freezer for 6 months, and tickets to the midnight premier of Eclipse. Everything else belongs to SMeyer. **

I wake up early, spooning with my cat, a giant fucking smile on my face. The sun is out and there's condenstation on my window, so I know it's not blistering hot yet. I get out of bed and dig my riding pants out of the back of my closet, locate my boots even farther back, grab an apple from the fridge and practically skip downstairs.

I hijack Jasper's truck, silently praying that he doesn't need it before I get back, and head out of the city. I have a friend who runs a barn right outside of Memphis, and she's always bugging me to come ride for her. It's hard for me, and I haven't taken her up on her offer since I moved to Tennessee. She doesn't have _her_; no one does, but I'm beginning to realize that I need to get over it because riding makes me feel so much better about everything else. And it's been too long. I take a deep breath as I turn down the long driveway and remind myself that this is going to be a great day. I know Marsha will be up and will act like she's been expecting me, so I don't feel too bad for showing up at her house at 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday.

I park in front of the barn and I'm immediately greeted by a pony-sized Mastiff and a little Jack Russell.

"Hey Sammy," I say as I rub the giant dog's block head. "Embry, hi to you too." I bend down and pick the little dog up.

"Well look what the cat dragged in! I hope you're here to ride because I have a few that are wasting away out in the field," Marsha calls to me from the doorway of the barn, pitchfork in hand. I walk up to her and drop Em back on the ground so I can give her a hug.

"Finally, huh? I think I'm ready. It's been too long."

"Well, grab a lead rope and go get Moose out of the front pasture. I got on him for a minute last week but he needs more. I gotta get these stalls done before the boarders start showing up and giving me grief over it." I love Marsha because she understands that I need space. She leaves me to myself and returns to her chores.

I go get the big bay gelding from his field and lead him into the barn to tack him up. I've missed this so much, I realize, as the sounds and smells and sights of the early morning stable surround me. We head out to the covered arena and I climb up into the saddle; I'm really fucking out of shape.

"Moose I'm gonna have to start running again if I'm riding your fat ass," I tell him as I affectionately slap his neck. He shakes his head and coughs and I pick up the reins. He's pretty well trained; just been out of work for a while. Marsha has more horses than she knows what to do with, and it's a real shame that so many of them don't get ridden. Not that they're unhappy about that fact, I'm sure, but it's a waste of well-bred horseflesh.

I smile as we pick up a trot and I let the horse stretch his neck and back. He doesn't feel anything like _her_ but it's ok. I really have missed this. I ride for about 45 minutes and we're both huffing and puffing by the time I decide to get off. It's warm enough now to hose him off, so I do that and then throw him back out into the field. I smile as I watch him roll around in the dust, grunting and groaning. The sight of a happy horse brings tears to my eyes. I turn back towards the barn to say goodbye to Marsha and tell her that I'll be back soon.

"You better be," she says. "It's good for you. I know you got burned out and then all that other shit happened, but you need to be here. And I'll have a horse for you to ride as long as you want to come."

"Thank you so much, Marsha. I really do feel better than I have in a long time. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner."

"Yes you do. And that's ok. It takes time. But I'm glad you're back," she says as she puts her arm around my shoulder and squeezes. "I'll see you soon."

I smile and head back towards the truck and then back towards Memphis.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

"I was getting ready to call the cops and report a stolen vehicle," Jasper says as I pull into the back alley. He's standing out here with a cup of coffee and I can tell he's been feeding the goat scraps of food.

"Sorry. I didn't want to wake you up and ask if I could borrow it. I needed to go ride. Don't feed that fucking goat. It only encourages him."

"You rode, huh?" he raises his eyebrows at me.

"Yeah. I did. And it was good. I'm gonna go back."

"Good. That makes me happy. Everything else ok?"

Cryptic Jasper is not my favorite. Luckily I know where he's going with this.

"I'm good Jas. Really good. I'm sorry about last night. I know it freaked you out when I was outside, but it's ok. I never felt uncomfortable," I tell him sincerely.

"Ok. Well, if you ever do, you just...I don't know. Let me or Alice know. I mean, I don't know what Alice is gonna do, but she's pretty quick. And loud," he looks up at me and smiles. I think we're ok now.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Jas. I love you."

"I know you do," he says as he walks over and pulls me into a hug. "We just want you to be happy."

We step back from each other and I grin at him. "How could I be unhappy today? I rode a horse for the first time in five years and I'm going to fucking Graceland!"

"Oh my god. I don't know how you stand it. You can take my truck if you need to. I don't need it today," he says as he rolls his eyes at me.

"It's like a bad car wreck. You can't look away," I laugh. He shakes his head at me and dumps the last little bit of his coffee out onto the bricks. I spy the bag of stale bread as I turn to go inside.

"I'm serious about the fucking goat. Knock it off with feeding him."

"Whatever woman. You know you do the same thing when no one is home."

I smile at him behind his back because he's right. I do.

I realize after I get inside that it's after 11:00 and I told Edward to be here around noon, so I bust ass getting ready. As I'm getting out of the shower, I hear a pounding on my door and roll my eyes because I know it's Alice and she's going to try and dress me. I wrap a towel around myself and open the door.

"I was going to wear a skirt! I swear! Please let me live," I laugh.

"You're only saying that so I'll leave you alone." She eyeballs me.

"Am not! I swear to god! Look--I laid it out on the bed." She cranes her neck around me and spots the clothes I have laid out.

"Alright Swan. But if you come out of that room in fucking jeans, so help me..."

"I promise. Skirt." She nods and leaves me to get dressed. The skirt hits right below my knees, is white, and is sort of peasanty and hippie looking, but I guess I am too so it works. I slip on a tank top and grab a denim jacket and I'm all set. Until I remember that I really should wear shoes. I hate wearing shoes so the flip flops win that war.

"So do I pass inspection for my hot date with the hot stranger?" I ask as I fling open the door. And then I immediately step back into my bedroom and shut the door because Edward is standing in the living room talking to Alice. I hear Louie whistling and making cat calls. I need to learn not to burst into rooms and say stupid shit before I notice who is in said rooms. There's a knock on the door and I know it's not Alice because she rarely knocks and when she does it's more of a violent banging. I close my eyes and crack the door open, and see Edward standing there smiling at me, his fingers in his hair.

"Hey. Can I come in?" he asks.

I just nod and step behind the door as I open it wide enough for him to slip in. He closes it behind him and turns and pulls me towards him and I forget about being embarrassed. He leans in and starts kissing me along my collarbone and makes his way up my neck and behind my ear until he's finally at my mouth. I groan as he deepens the kiss and my stomach flutters.

He pulls back and says, "I think you pass inspection."

"Good. Because I think we need to get out of my bedroom if we plan on doing anything else today," I say breathlessly.

"Lead the way," he smiles as he opens the door.

I grab his hand and drag him past a smirking Alice and outside to the truck.

"Do you have a car?" I ask Edward.

"Well yeah, but it's in Washington state," he laughs.

"I don't. I fucking hate driving. Of course now I'm just that annoying person who has to get rides everywhere. But, I don't get asked to run stupid errands. So it evens out," I ramble. I shove my iPod towards him. "Put something on."

"That's placing a lot of trust in my hands, you know that, right?"

I just cut my eyes at him and smile as I watch him grin and scroll through my music. I throw the truck into reverse just as _Voodoo Lady_ starts playing through the speakers. I playfully punch him in the arm, laughing.

"Yeah, that's right. Voodoo. You better watch it. I'll go over to Schwab's and get some Voodoo dolls and bat eyeballs!" I laugh.

"I don't think you need magic to work me over, Dr. Swan," Edward chuckles. We settle into a comfortable silence as I drive out of town and towards Graceland.

Edward pays for both of us to take the grand tour of the mansion and we get headsets and are shuffled in through the front door with about 15 other lumpy looking tourists. I smile when I look up at him and he's grinning from ear to ear, staring at the peacock stained glass. He catches my eye and winks at me as we head through the front foyer and deeper into the house. I notice that Edward has dropped his headphones down around his neck, and I silently thank God because I didn't want to take mine off and look rude since he paid for them, but the thought of them touching a million other people's ears was really starting to creep me out.

We get ushered into the Jungle Room and I feel Edward's arm slip around my waist and I lean into him as the tacky, shag-covered wonderment is laid out before us.

"Oh my god. This is incredible. Like, in a bad car wreck kind of way, but still..." Edward whispers into my ear.

I laugh, thinking about how that's exactly the way I described it to Jasper this morning. "Yeah, every time I come here I'm in awe. It's like he died and they just closed the place and left it exactly like it was. I really think I need a pond in my living room."

"Who doesn't need a pond in their living room?" Edward laughs and pulls me closer to him and places three not-so-light kisses down the side of my neck. I giggle because it tickles and because the irony of us necking in the Jungle Room is not lost on me. A voice clears behind us and I turn to see a middle aged account-looking type glaring at us and tapping his foot.

"Well fuck, don't let us hold you up," I say to him, rolling my eyes and step out of his way, giving him the middle finger after his back is to us. Edward just laughs and grabs my hand, dragging me to catch up with the rest of the group.

The tour continues on like that; we stop and gawk at some of the more outlandish things in the house and Edward keeps teasing me by blowing in my ear and working his hands under the waistband of my skirt. By the time we reach the trophy room, I'm a hot mess and so ready to get away from this fucking group of tourists I'm about to go psycho on all their asses. Luckily I hold it together and after we return our unused headsets Edward insists on going into the gift shop.

"Seriously, Edward? It's all so overpriced and you can get the same shit in any gift shop on Beale," I whine to him.

"Oh come on Bella. I don't plan on coming back here, _ever_, so let's go buy something overpriced and tacky, ok?" He grins at me and I'm mush. I can't say no to this man and the even scarier part is, I don't care. I follow him into the first shop (there are about 6 of them) and I linger behind him, watching him make his way through the t-shirts and shot glasses. He gets to the sunglasses rack and I groan.

"No way Edward. Uh-uh. Nope. I am not going to be seen with you if you do it," I say to him. His back is turned to me but I know exactly what he's doing. He turns around I can't help but erupt in laughter. Everyone turns and stares at me but my outburst continues to the point where I'm almost on the ground, snorting in hysterics.

"What? You don't like them?" he asks, feigning mock hurt. He has on the most ridiculous pair of late 1960s-era Elvis aviator shades I have ever seen. They are bright silver and I have to admit that even they can't make him look bad. They actually make him look a little hotter, if that's possible.

"Oh my god. You look ridiculous. But whatever. Buy me a shot glass and I'll let you wear them," I say once I've regained my composure.

"Awesome." He's so thrilled, like a little kid. I grab a shot glass and we make our way to the register, still laughing like fools.

We decide to head back to the house because my foot is starting to kill me from riding and then walking around so much. I don't want to complain to Edward, but I really, really need to sit down and put some ice on it. But he notices me starting to limp as we're walking back to the truck.

"Are you ok? You're limping."

"Yeah, I just need to sit down. Old, uh, injury," I reply.

"Do you want me to drive?" he asks.

"No, I'm fine, really. I've just been overdoing it the past couple of days. I should have been more careful when I went to ride this morning."

We make it to the truck and I start to drive us back towards Beale Street, and the silence is no longer very comfortable. I know I need to explain myself because I can tell he has questions that he's scared to ask after I flipped the fuck out on him last night. I sigh, and decide to give him the abbreviated version.

"So about five years ago, I was in a really bad car accident. The right side of my body was basically crushed. Broke my foot, my knee, fractured my hip and fucked up my neck and back. It took me a while to recover, and I still have problems with my foot if I stand or walk too much without wrapping it and icing it." I say this all really quickly and then glance at him to see his reaction.

"Wow. I'm glad you're ok. I worked in the ER for a couple of years and saw some fucked up shit. A lot of it had to do with car wrecks," he replies.

"Yeah, I guess it could have been worse. I could have died. But it was pretty awful. I, um, I was pulling a horse trailer," my voice catches for a second, "and my horse was killed."

Edward turns to look at me and then puts his hand on my knee.

"I'm sorry, Bella. That must have been horrific."

"Yeah. I don't really like to talk about it. She was my life. We were on our way to a show where I probably would have qualified for the Olympics. I miss her. All the time."

"What was her name?"

"Serenade. Sera," I say and take a deep breath, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry. We were having such a good time and then I had to go and get all emo," I laugh and sniffle at the same time.

"Hey, once again I asked a question that upset you. I'm sorry. But I'm glad I know," Edward says softly.

I look at him and smile as we pull back into the driveway. "It's ok. Wanna come in and hang out for a while?"

"Absolutely," he grins back at me.

Alice and Jasper aren't around. I'm kind of thankful for that as Edward and I head inside. I hobble up the stairs with him behind me, his hand never leaving the small of my back.

"Make yourself at home. Want something to drink?" I ask him as I head towards the kitchen.

"Sure. I'll have what you're having," he says as he settles down on one of the sofas in the living room. I notice him picking up a photo album that's sitting on the coffee table and I quickly grab two beers and my special ice boot.

"This is you?" he asks, not looking up from the pictures as he takes the beer from me. I settle down beside him and put the cold pack on my swollen foot.

"Yeah. That was in Raleigh. Two years before the accident. The first time we did our freestyle," I smile at the memory. I used music from The Lion King and Sera would dance when it started. I was so proud of her at that show. I glance down at the photograph that he's still looking at and see myself in my top hat and tails, my bright chestnut mare passaging down the centerline. Her tail is swinging in time to the music, her big ears like a metronome. We won that class, our first time out. That was back when we both still loved it, before we got burned out.

"What's a freestyle?" Edward asks as he continues to flip through the album.

"Oh, it's when you choreograph your ride to music. It looks like the horse is dancing. I have it on video somewhere around here. I'm not sure if I can watch it, though," I tell him.

"I'd love to see it if you ever want to show it to me," he replies, glancing up at me and smiling.

"Maybe one day," I say as I grab the TV remote and start flipping channels. I really don't want to think about it anymore today and he's almost at the end of the album.

"How's your foot? Do you have to go to the doctor regularly?" he asks as he puts the album back on the table.

"It's ok. Been worse. I probably should have it checked when it gets like this, but I really fucking hate going to the doctor. After everything I went through..."

"Want me to take a look at it? I mean, there's not much I can do here, but I could probably write you a prescription for an anti-inflammatory."

"Yeah, I mean, if you want to. I don't want to take advantage of your mad doctor skills or anything," I laugh.

Edward rolls his eyes at me. "Here, lemme see," he says as he pats his knee. I hoist my now really swollen foot up to him and he takes the ice pack off.

"Jesus Christ Bella. This is really swollen. Doesn't it hurt?" he asks as he pokes at my puffy, bluish-red foot.

"Yeah, shit, Edward. When you fucking jab it it hurts," I grimace.

"Sorry. But this is bad. How often does this happen?"

"I don't know. Once a month, maybe? But if I keep a tension bandage on it, it's usually fine. I just neglect to do that most of the time. I spent a year in physical therapy and got fucking sick of it and quit. It's manageable," I tell him.

"Ok. Well, we'll get you a strong anti-inflammatory. That'll help. But you really should keep it wrapped if you're going to ride and walk around a lot. You could really do some damage if you don't," he tells me, and I laugh a little because he sounds so doctor-like.

"I broke every single bone in that foot, Edward. The damage is already done. They told me it was a wonder that I could still use it, and this has been going on for about 5 years. I'm used to it."

"But you shouldn't have to deal with so much pain, Bella. I'll do what I can to help."

I want to tell him that maybe I deserve the pain, but I bite my tongue. "I appreciate it, Edward. Really. You wanna watch a movie or something?"

"Yeah, something funny," he replies.

We settle on Talladega Nights because the spider monkey line makes me laugh every time. I leave my foot in his lap because it really needs to be elevated and he's started softly rubbing it and honestly, it feels really fucking good. Jake never took care of me. Not that I wanted to be nursed or anything, but a little understanding would have been nice. He always acted like it was my fault when I couldn't get out of bed some mornings and would guilt me into cooking and cleaning for him, since I wasn't working. Even though I've only really known Edward for less than week, I feel comfortable letting him help me. It's hard, feeling vulnerable around someone. But it's also kind of nice, like I could stop worrying about everything for a bit. I settle down into the corner of the sofa and let myself drift off to sleep before the movie is even halfway through.

I startle awake to the sound of Louie screeching, and blinking, and realize that it's nearly dark outside. Edward is rubbing his eyes, so I guess he fell asleep too.

"Shit. Sorry. Guess I needed a nap," I say groggily.

"Me too. How's your foot feel?" Edward asks, his voice full of sleep and really fucking sexy.

"Better. Just staying off of it for a few hours usually helps," I say, yawning.

"Oh. Well, I was hoping it was my magic hands that did the trick. That and my mad doctor skills," he says, grinning and wiggling his fingers at me.

The thought of Edward's magic hands makes me blush but before I can jump up and run away from an uncomfortable situation once again, he grabs me and pulls me into his lap. I'm straddling him, his hands running up and down my ribcage hungrily, and he looks intensely into my eyes for a moment before he urgently kisses me and I see stars. Again. I groan and put my hands in his hair and grind down on top of him like my life depends on it. I'm suddenly really, really happy that I've worn a skirt today, because there's not much between me and the one part of Edward's body that I'd like to get to know a whole lot better. His hands move lower and begin to run up the top of my legs when I hear the door open downstairs and Louie yells hello to who I presume are Jasper and Alice.

"Goddammit," I say into his mouth. "We have company." He kisses me one last time and I suck on his bottom lip again for good measure, because it's becoming a favorite past time of mine. He lifts me up and sits me back down on my side of the sofa and runs his hands through his hair, taking a shaky breath and smiling his crooked smile at me.

**Told you I wasn't done. ;) If you'd like to learn more about dressage, see pics of Fraggle, Louie, Moose, and Edward's sunglasses, check out my blog: http : // 12 - North . blogspot . com. Remove the spaces, of course. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Special thanks to bierbeck and RobsSwissMiss for their brain storming/pre-reading wonderment. And as always, hugs and inappropriate ass grabs to Becky_Boodles, my beta. **

**This chapter is EPOV. I wrote the entire thing in BPOV as well but fucking Edward wouldn't shut up and the squeeky wheel gets the oil and all that shit. So here it is. :)**

**I own a Carlisle cardboard cutout, two super cute orange kittens, and a basil plant that's growing out of control. Everything else belongs to SMeyer. **

I lift Bella up off of me and almost wince at the loss of contact. She huffs and grumbles something about Alice and her bad timing and I can only smile at her and adjust myself. But the last thing I want is for her two best friends to come up here and see her on top of me. Jasper seems like a great guy, but his protectiveness for Bella rolls off of him in waves.

Alice comes up the stairs, taking two at a time, and stops dead in her tracks when she reaches the top. She grins and narrows her eyes at Bella.

"Hey Bells. How was Graceland?" she asks.

"Same as it was the last time I was there. Edward bought sunglasses," Bella replies, dramatically rolling her eyes at me.

"Yeah and damn if they're not hot. I'm wearing them everywhere from now on," I joke back at her, nudging her playfully with my foot.

"Oh my god," she laughs, just as her crazy bird flew up the stairs and perched himself on her shoulder. He cocked his head at me and I'm honestly a little scared for my life.

"Knock knock," the parrot says to me. I glance at Bella and she just shrugs and shakes her head.

"Um, who's there?" I reply.

"Disk!" Louie screeches.

"Disk who?" I can't believe I'm getting told a knock-knock joke by a bird.

"Disk is a recording. Leave message at beep!" Louie yells and then does the most annoying and loudest impression of a beep I've ever heard. Then he starts laughing at himself, and all four of us lose our shit. The bird laughs along with us, bobbing his head up and down and flapping his giant, blue wings.

"That bird is off his fucking rocker," Jasper says. "Where the hell did he come up with that?"

"Hell if I know," Bella laughed. She lovingly ruffled his head feathers and I smiled at the small show of affection. "I'm gonna go get the bar open," she says and motions for me to follow her.

I walk behind her down the stairs and over to the bar, sitting down while she goes through her very organized opening routine. I would offer to help, but I can tell she's got a system and I'd probably just be in the way. The fact that she's doing all this with the bird still sitting on her shoulder is pretty humorous. She looks like a pirate and I chuckle to myself thinking of her like that. She turns and raises her eyebrows at me, but apparently decides she doesn't want to know what I'm laughing about. It's so nice to be able to spend time with someone who doesn't insist on incessant small talk. There's no such thing as an uncomfortable silence between us and I feel like we're on the same page more often than not.

It's a slow night on Beale, and Bella and I have lots of time to talk about things like our families and where we grew up. I tell her about how my mom is bipolar and an alcoholic, and how I needed a break from it for a while. This seems to unsettle Bella, so I quickly explain that it's something I've dealt with my entire life and that I'm not running away from it. But when my mother goes off her meds and starts drinking, there's nothing I can do. So I took the opportunity to help my dad out and come to Tennessee. Bella tells me about growing up in North Carolina, and she gets a far away look in her eyes when she mentions missing the beaches there. She talks about her first horse, her cousin Tommy who made the moonshine, and Moose-the horse that she's just started riding. She talks about the horses like they're her family members, and I mention that I would like to go meet Moose sometime soon. Bella smiles and says she'd like that. She tells me that she's not close to her mom, and that she and her dad have a good, but distant relationship. It's nice to learn a little more about her, even though I still feel like there are a lot of ghosts in her past. I want to ask her about what happened in New Orleans and get the address of whatever asshole fucked her up so royally, because I know something happened no matter how much she avoids talking about it. I'd be more than happy to make sure the fucker never walked again. But she seems happy and I'm glad that she's opened up to me as much as she has, so I save it for another time.

By midnight, the bar is empty and Bella makes the executive decision to close for the night. I decide to help her clean up because I figure there's only so many ways I can screw up wiping the bar down and washing glasses. She doesn't seem to mind the help, and we work together in relative silence. I purposely brush up against her a couple of times and her answer to that is to hip bump me pretty fucking hard and then scoot away before I can retaliate. We make quick work of the cleanup routine, and I stand at the end of the bar waiting to see if my assistance cuts the mustard. Bella takes one last look around and smiles before glancing up at me. She puts a bowl of leftover cherries and orange slices on the bar and sets Louie down in front of it.

"Hang out here for a bit, ok son?" she says to the bird, who ignores her and and starts throwing cherries all over the bar I've just cleaned.

I grab her hand and we walk out the front door, where she turns off her sign and takes a deep breath before turning to face me.

"I had fun today, Bella. Thanks for showing me Graceland," I smile down at her.

"Sure, anytime. We really should go to the zoo before it gets too hot out. Oh and definitely the..." I pull her to me, my kiss cutting off her nervous chatter. But she kisses me back, so I know she's not pissed about it. I groan into her mouth and my dick starts cussing me out for the definite blue balls I'm gonna have for the fiftieth time today. She puts her hands in my hair and whimpers and I pull her even closer. I can't get enough of her and she pulls aways first because I'm pretty sure I'm cutting off her oxygen supply.

"Where should we go?" I grin and ask her.

"Forgot," she pants, and pulls me back towards her. We stand on the sidewalk, making out like teenagers until a drunk guy walk past and tells us to get a room. I try to ignore him, but I know Bella won't. Sure enough, she pulls away from me, biting my lip as she turns to face the guy.

"Why don't you go fuck off, asshole?" she yells down the sidewalk at him. I laugh out loud and drape my arm across her shoulders, pulling her back to my side.

"Would you shut up?" I laugh. "I'm not really wanting to beat a drunk guy off of you in the middle of the street at one in the morning." She elbows me in the ribs and then stands on her tiptoes and kisses my nose. I'm pretty sure it's the most adorable thing I've ever been a part of. I take her face in my hands and kiss her one last time.

"Goodnight, Bella. And ice your foot again, ok?"

"Yes sir, Dr. Cullen," she replies and I don't think she understands what her calling me that does to my self control.

"I'll give you a call tomorrow?" I ask her.

"Yep, definitely. We don't open on Mondays, so I have no plans but to sleep in," she tells me.

"Sounds good, Dr. Swan. Talk to you soon," I smile at her.

"Looking forward to it, Dr. Cullen," she says to me. This time I groan out loud and as I'm turning to walk away from her, she playfully kicks my ass. I laugh and head back towards my hotel, taking it slow until I hear the door of the bar click shut and the deadbolt turn.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

I remember to set my alarm the next morning so I can go get the prescription filled for Bella and get it over to her as soon as possible. Her foot really worries me. It shouldn't look like that five years after the accident. I have a feeling there's a lot she's not telling me but I feel like it's too soon to prod deeper.

I'm getting sick of sleeping in a hotel, and I think about my living options as I shower. I'm beginning to think that it might be nice to stay here for a while, but that scares me because Bella is really the only reason for that. Logically, I know that's insane, but the connection I feel to her is almost overpowering. I know I can't bring any of this up to her; she takes one step forward and two steps back with everything and I know it would be really easy for me to overwhelm her and push her away. On the other hand, it could take up to a year to get the clinic built and up and running, and it really wouldn't be out of the question for me to stay on and manage it. I was thinking about that before I even met Bella. I resolve to myself that I am not, in fact, losing my mind for a girl, and leave the hotel for the pharmacy I noticed down the street.

I get her a three month supply because she doesn't seem like the type of person who would stay on top of getting it refilled. I decide to walk down the river towards Beale. The late morning sun is already scorching and there aren't many people out and about. I sort of enjoy the heat, even though I've never felt anything like it. At the end of the day I feel like I've sweated and purged all the bad shit out of my system.

I'm not exactly sure where to go to find Bella, so I just knock on the front door of their house. It looks more like a store front than a house. I would have never suspected that anyone lived there. Jasper opens the door and luckily doesn't look too pissed that I've shown up on his doorstep with drugs.

"Hey man," he says. "She's out back." He steps aside and motions towards the back door.

"Thanks. I was just bringing by this prescription I told her I'd get."

"Sure thing. Make yourself at home," he tells me as he turns and heads back upstairs. Not exactly warm and fuzzy, but I guess I can understand where he's coming from. I head towards the back door, stopping to pet Bella's freakishly large cat on the way.

She's on the patio, smoking a cigarette and feeding the goat with her back turned to me. She has on pajama pants and a ratty fleece robe with turtles all over it. Her hair is knotted up on top of her head, she's barefoot, and absolutely beautiful. She turns around and doesn't seem surprised to see me.

"Jesus Christ Cullen. Why does Jasper keep letting you into my house without my permission?" she says with a smile.

"Sorry. Hope I'm not interrupting anything..." I trail off.

She laughs. "Does it look like you're fucking interrupting anything? All I've done today is get stoned out of my head and eat a ginormous breakfast."

"I brought you some Celebrex," I say, holding the bag up. "Got you a three month supply because I don't trust you to get it refilled after it runs out in a month."

"Probably a smart decision on your part," she smiles softly at me. "Thanks for doing that for me, Edward. You really didn't have to."

"It's no problem. Just promise you'll take them, ok?"

"Ok. It's a lot better today," she says as she raises her leg and wiggles her toes at me. I have to admit, it does look a lot better. At least it's not purple today. "You want a mimosa? I brought the pitcher out," she says as she points towards the table.

We sit down under the patio umbrella and share a glass because she only brought one outside and neither one of us can be bothered to go back in and get another one. I smile at the fact that we're comfortable enough to share a glass, like we've reached some relationship milestone. Not that it should have that much significance, considering how often we've shared saliva in the past three days. She takes her robe off and I find myself once again trying to decipher the meaning of the ink running up and down her arm and shoulder. She catches me staring and raises her eyebrows at me.

"I was just wondering what they all meant. Because I doubt you just put them there randomly," I say to her. She smiles and takes a deep breath.

"Well, I have this thing about 'home.' But I don't know where home is. Roots are important to me, but I've never really settled down anywhere. So I figured if I put my home on my body, it would always be with me." I just smile at her, hoping she'll continue. "I already told you about Bill. The tree is a live oak. My grandfather's house was surrounded by them. There's a Mason jar there for my cousin, and the bleeding heart is off of a pirate flag. Blackbeard's. I guess you recognize the gates from Graceland, and the trumpet is there for the people who helped me with my dissertation. The sandpiper reminds me of the beach and the pelican of the Delta. And then the horseshoe, well, that was one of Sera's," she finishes with a sharp intake of breath.

"You are truly amazing," I tell her, hoping I sound as sincere as I feel.

"Oh my god. Shut up Edward," she laughs, taking a swig of the drink. "Amazing is something I am most definitely not."

"I beg to differ," I smile. "So what do you say you trade the turtle robe for something more publicly appropriate and we take a walk or something?"

"I can't believe you think my robe is inappropriate," she gasps in mock disbelief. "I'll have you know I've worn it to the grocery store on more than one occasion."

This bit of information doesn't surprise me, and honestly, I'd be more than willing to accompany her to a black tie affair wearing the gross thing, but I'm enjoying giving her shit about it.

"Well, you know, being new to town and all I'd hate to give a bad first impression to anyone we might happen to run into," I laugh.

She smiles and kicks me in the knee and I think about how I should start naming the bruises she's giving me.

"Ok. You win, as long as you don't mind waiting for me to take a shower," she concedes. I stare at her for a second and bite my tongue before I say something entirely too forward about her and her shower. She reads my mind and laughs at me. We gather up the pitcher, medicine, stale goat bread, and her hideous robe and head back inside. This circus I've entered into is unlike anything I've ever experienced, and I'm enjoying every second of it.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

About an hour later, Bella and I are walking up Main Street, towards nothing in particular. She's got her hand in the back pocket of my jeans and she's talking animatedly about the music festival that took place last week. I notice happily that she's not walking with a limp any more and she's wrapped her foot up like I asked her to.

"...so then Billy Idol fucking jumps up on top of the amp and screams 'I am Billy Fucking Idol' and then it was over. I don't really even like him, but that was pretty bad ass. Not as bad ass as Jerry Lee Lewis, but on a scale of one to ten, I'd give him a six. Are you even listening to me Edward?" I'm startled out of my thoughts and turn to see her looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah of course. Jerry Lee Lewis. Bad ass. Great balls of fire. Six," I laugh.

"Uh huh," she says, still cutting her eyes at me. Suddenly I feel her whole body tense up and she pulls her hand away from me and shoves it in her own pocket. She drops her head and picks up speed and I have to almost jog to catch up to her.

"Hey, slow down. What's wrong Bella?"

"Um, nothing. I just saw someone I thought I knew. That I don't want to talk to," she replies cryptically. I scan the street and follow her gaze to a shifty looking fucker who's leaning up against a mailbox, staring in our direction. He's about a half a block ahead of us and he doesn't take his eyes off of Bella.

"That douche in the wife beater?" I point towards him and Bella slaps my hand down.

"Fuck Edward. Don't point. Can we just please cross the street?"

"No fucking way. Who is that? What did he do to you?" I'm getting angry now, and she grabs my hand and links her arm into mine. The tension is rolling off of her in waves.

"Nothing. I mean, he was coming into the bar for a while but Jasper kicked him out. I haven't seen him since," she says as we near the guy. He steps in front of us as we get close and Bella takes a sharp breath.

"Hey man, can I help you with something?" I ask him, trying to stay calm.

"Oh no. Bella and I are just old friends," the guy sneers. "Saw you coming down the street and thought I'd say hi." He looks Bella up and down and she stares at the sidewalk like her life depends on it. And suddenly I'm feeling homicidal. I don't know what this asshole has done to her, but the same girl who told a drunk to fuck off at one in the morning and handles rowdy college kids on a daily basis is now standing next to me, holding on for dear life and trembling like a leaf.

"Doesn't seem like you're friends to me. So I'd suggest you just stay the fuck away from her," I tell him, my tone oddly calm.

"Well, I'd suggest you stay the fuck outta mine and Bella's business. How's that sound, _friend_?" he leers, nodding at Bella and licking his lips.

"Enough. Edward, can we please just go? And James, stay the fuck away. I'm not kidding." Bella's voice is meek and shaky.

"Oh come on baby. I've seen you around with this loser. You've got to be kidding me with him. You know you'd be better off with me," he says and I lose my shit. I push Bella behind me and shove the asshole back into the mailbox and he grunts as the wind get knocked out of him. He stands up and looks like he's going to come back at me, but glances around the busy street and apparently decides against it.

"This isn't over, you dumb fucker. You better watch it," he shouts at me. I just pull Bella closer to me and hurry past him. I'm surprised that she's letting me pull her along like this, and that just pisses me off even more because I can't imagine what James has done to her to make her react like this. We're right in front of my hotel at this point, so I pull her through the door and towards the elevator. She's breathing heavily at this point, and I'm scared she's about to have a panic attack.

"Hey, it's ok. Calm down, Bella," I say softly to her as I wrap both my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. "He can't follow us in here. He's not going to hurt you. I'll fucking kill him first." She doesn't say anything. She just melts into my chest and I can feel her trying to steady her breathing. She's obviously dealt with a panic attack before. The elevator doors open and we make it to my room before she lets out a sob that both infuriates me and breaks my heart. I'm so mad I'm seeing red and the only thing that keeps me from going back outside and beating the living shit out of James is the fact that I can't leave her alone. So I lead her over to the bed and sit down, pulling her into my lap and trying to get her to calm down.


	6. Chapter 6

**I owe several people my first born. RobsSwissMiss, bierbeck, texaskatherine and my beta Becky_Boodles. I was a giant pain in the ass while writing this and they held my hand the whole way through. Thanks guys. I love you. **

**This chapter was inspired by the new Band of Horse album, specifically the first and last songs. If you don't have it yet, you need to get it. Now. **

**Disclaimer: I own two copies of Stewy's Elle cover, a pirate rubber ducky that's actually a vibrator, and three tomato plants. Everything else belongs to SMeyer. **

I cry like a moron into Edward's chest, and, whilst I know I'm being really, really melodramatic, I can't help it. He's just holding me and rubbing my back and that makes me cry even more.

"Sweetheart, please tell me what he did to you. Are you ok?" I can hear the worry in his voice and despite that, I smile inside because he calls me sweetheart.

I take a deep, racking breath and scoot out of his lap. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm ok. He just caught me off guard," I sniffle.

"Um, Bella, I'm not trying to be a jackass or anything, but it seemed like a little more than that. If I'm going to kill this guy, I need to know the reason why."

"Oh god Edward, please don't get all caveman on me. Jasper already beat the shit out of him and ended up with a busted lip and fractured cheek bone. James got it worse, though," I tell him as another involuntary sob takes me by surprise. "I thought he was gone. I hadn't seen him in a couple of months."

"Did you date him or something?" Edward asks, his voice raising slightly.

"Jesus fucking Christ no!" I practically scream at him. "It's a long story. He was coming into the bar and had been making me uncomfortable from the very beginning. And then one night after everyone left and I was closing up, he caught me before I could get the door locked. He pushed his way back inside and cornered me," I say. I don't want to retell this story again, but I guess I owe Edward some answers. Again.

"Shit Bella. Did he, I mean, he didn't..." Edward stammers and I know what he's trying to ask.

"Rape me? No. He sort of, I don't know, touched me. Tried to kiss me. Said some really horrible things. When he tried to unbutton my jeans I grew a pair and kneed him in the balls. I don't believe in God, but someone was looking out for me because Jasper came in the back door before James could grab me again. Jasper just tore into him. I called the cops, but there wasn't really anything they could do. I got a restraining order against him, but that didn't really work for shit. Cops around here have bigger issues to deal with besides some douchebag getting handsy with a bartender." I leave out the part about how he ripped my shirt and left bruises around the tops of my arms. My goal at this point is keeping Edward from becoming truly homicidal, and those details seem unnecessary.

Edward just huffs and runs his hand through his hair, his handsome face creased with worry.

"I'm ok. Really. He just surprised me today. I guess that explains a lot about why I am like I am. I've never been comfortable with people in my space, but after dealing with an emotionally and verbally abusive boyfriend for 10 years and then James, I just sort of withdrew from everyone. But I'm glad you were with me today. Thanks for sticking up for me," I say as I glance up at him. The look on his face makes me melt. All protective and manly and...loving? But there's not a trace of sympathy. No one has looked at me like that in a long, long time. I love Jasper more than life, but sometimes I feel like his ward. But Edward just wraps his arms back around me and pulls me back into his lap. I take a deep breath and it doesn't end in a sob, so I think I'm ok now. After a few minutes, I try to push away from him but he holds on to me tightly and I settle back into his chest.

"I need to use the bathroom," I mumble into his t-shirt, which is now soaked with my tears and snot. He wipes my hair out of my face and scoots farther back on the bed so I can get up. I smile at him as I stand, and slide off the bed towards the bathroom. I splash some cold water on my face and I may or may not sniff the shirt that's sitting on top of a pair of flannel pajama pants. It smells like Edward and I think about stuffing it under my shirt and taking it home with me. But I figure I've acted crazy enough for one day, so I leave the shirt and take note of the really cool claw foot tub before leaving the bathroom.

Edward is standing in front of the window with his hands in his hair, and I walk up behind him and lean into him, wrapping my arms around his torso. "Thank you again. I'm sorry. You didn't know what you were in for with me, huh?"

"Don't be silly," he laughs softly. "I already told you I'm good with crazy," he says as he turns around and wraps his arms around me, kissing the top of my head. A sudden crack of thunder makes me jump, and he tightens his grip on me. "Scared of thunder, Dr. Swan?"

"Maybe a little," I say, talking into his shirt again.

Edward laughs. "Well, wanna hang out here for a while and let the storm pass?"

"Can we order room service?"

He laughs again. "Anything, sweet girl."

I look up at him and smile, suddenly overcome with my need for him. I put my hands in his hair and pull him closer to me, kissing him deeply. He groans and puts his hands on my ass, lifting me up so that I can wrap my legs around him. I hold on for dear life, and let myself go, sinking deeper and deeper into Edward's embrace. I feel safe and happy as he kisses me back and then moves from my lips to my earlobe to my neck as he starts to walk towards the bed, still carrying me. I'm thinking that this shit is about to get real, fast, but I don't let myself freak out about it. I know he won't hurt me, and I want to give him what little part of myself I can.

He reaches the bed and turns around, sitting so that once again I'm in his lap. His hand moves down to the hem of my shirt and then I feel his fingers ghost up my sides to my breast. He's definitely not close enough to me and I really want this fucking bra off. Now.

"Edward," I breathe, "Please."

That seems to be the only encouragement he needs as he reaches around and unclasps my bra. I arch forward when his hand finally touches my bare skin, gasping at the sensation. He rolls my nipple between his finger and thumb and I almost black out.

"Is this ok?" he whispers into my ear.

"Fuck yeah it's ok. Please don't stop," I assure him breathlessly.

"I just feel bad, after what happened, that maybe we shouldn't..." he trails off.

"Shut the fuck up and kiss me, Edward," I growl at him and take his bottom lip in my mouth, gently biting down on it. He grabs my shirt and pulls it up over my head and I think I've finally gotten the point across. I hope he doesn't think I'm too much of a bipolar freak show, crying about nearly being sexually assaulted one minute and jumping his bones the next. If he has a problem with it, I can't tell, so I just keep sucking on his face until he breaks the kiss and moves further down my neck. I gasp and moan at that same time when his mouth finally makes contact with my nipple and he sucks and bites at it. I'm pretty sure I'm completely over-stimulated and may pass out, but before I can come up for air his hand moves even further down and he starts fiddling with the button on my shorts. I realize that I'm sitting here half naked while he's fully dressed, so I reach for his shirt, pulling and tugging at it until I get it up over his head. He manages to get my shorts half way down my ass, which is quite a feat considering I'm still straddling his lap. I'm mortified for a split second when I remember that I have on bright yellow underwear with cartoon cats all over them, but it passes quickly when his hand brushes across my hip bone and towards the inside of my thigh. His fingers brush the outside of my cotton underwear and I grind down on him harder, wanting him to touch me everywhere. I can feel his erection through his jeans, and I'm suddenly overcome with the need to free that fucker from his constraints.

"Pants," I say breathlessly. "I need them off."

He's back up to my mouth now, and he never breaks contact as he somehow manages to first remove what's left of my clothes and then his. I'm lying back on the bed now and he leans away from me. I groan at the loss of contact but he smiles at me.

"You're beautiful, Bella," he says, his voice husky and low.

"Come back over here, please Edward? You're making me all self-conscience. And I miss you."

He grins and hovers back over me, his hands finally moving towards the place I've been aching for them to be. I let out a serious whore moan and I can feel him laughing into my mouth. I smile against him and reach down lower, taking him in my hand. He slips first one finger, and then another, inside of me and we begin stroking each other at the same pace. His mouth is all over me, from my lips to my neck, down to my breasts and back up again. My body is on fire and I feel him vibrate deep in his chest. His thumb brushes over my clit at the same time that his long fingers hit the spot inside me.

"Oh god Edward, please don't ever stop."

"Never baby. Fuck, you feel amazing," he says as he dips and hooks his fingers even further. That's all I can take, and I come apart around him. I clench my hands around his neck and suddenly realize that I'm biting the fuck out of his collarbone but I need something to anchor me to him. My teeth do the trick and I manage to get out a few really creative cuss words as the most intense orgasm I've ever had starts to subside. I think if he ever puts his dick in me it may actually kill me.

I remove my teeth from his neck and give him what I hope is a seductive grin. His eyes are black and his chest is heaving. He looks so god-damned sexy and I think that if I can make him at least half as happy as he's just made me I'll be doing ok. I've never, ever been this comfortable with anyone. The vulnerability is pretty fucking scary, but I really want to give him something. Show him that I trust him. So I kiss him, moving from his mouth to his neck, down his chest, to his pelvic bone, and then the inside of his thigh. He groans as I lick his shaft from top to bottom and his hips buck as I take all of him in my mouth. I swear to god he tastes like those candy eggs you get at Easter with the white fluffy stuff on the inside.

"Jesus Christ, Bella. You don't have to..." he trails off, his words turning into a guttural moan. I take that as a sign to carry on and immediately forget about all my stupid hangups. Because let's face it, I've got a fucking Cadburys Egg dick in my mouth and I'm making this incredibly awesome, fuckhot man be at a loss for words. Score one for Bella.

"Fuck, baby. I'm gonna come. I can't, you're just..." I smile inwardly because he still can't finish a sentence, so I keep doing what I'm doing as he threads his fingers through my hair. I can tell he really is about to come, so I replace my mouth with my hand because I don't swallow that shit, no matter how fuckhot the guy is. I manage to collect it all in my hand, and grin at him as I wipe it off with his shirt. He reaches up and pulls me to him, not speaking, only sighing deeply as I settle into his chest. He kisses the top of my head and I close my eyes as he pulls the comforter up around us, more at peace than I've been in a long time. I start to get lost, thinking about whatever forces brought him to me. My stomach growls after a while, and he chuckles.

"So do you still want food?" Edward asks, shaking me out of my wandering thoughts.

"Yes. Can we eat in bed? I never want to leave. I'll have Alice bring me my bird and cat because I'll miss them, but other than that I think I'd be cool never leaving this room again," I tell him.

He laughs. "That sounds like a fantastic plan. You can't put clothes back on either, though."

"Deal. I want a hamburger, some fried pickles, and chocolate chip cookies."

"I'll see what I can come up with," he says as he reaches over me for the phone. I take the opportunity to suck on his chest a little as he props himself up over top of me.

"You better stop distracting me if you want food, Dr. Swan."

I cease and desist pretty quickly. "Sorry. I can't keep my mouth off of you."

"That's not helping either," he laughs as he dials the number for room service and orders two of everything I requested plus a six pack. I think I'm in love with him, but I keep that to myself for the time being.

"Food will be here in about 20 minutes they said. I don't really want the bellboy seeing you naked so I guess you ought to put on a shirt or something," Edward says as he runs his hand up and down my stomach.

"I said I wasn't getting out of this bed," I reply groggily.

"No, you said you weren't leaving this room."

"Whatever. Same difference. You said I had to stay naked, so I win." At that he starts tickling me, which is totally unfair. I screech and jump off the bed, wrapping a sheet around myself and running to the bathroom and locking the door. Once inside, I lean up against the back of the door, shut my eyes, and do an abbreviated and silent version of the happy dance. All in all it's been a pretty wonderful day, despite the fuckery with James.

The claw foot tub is really calling my name, but I decide to save that for another time when Edward might want to join me. I take a quick shower and put Edward's pj's on, deciding pretty immediately that I'm never taking them off. It's still thundering outside and I hope that the storm never stops. I want to be stranded here forever.

When I come out of the bathroom, the food is already here and Edward is tipping the bellboy and hurrying him out of the room. I hop back onto the bed and decide to make him come through on his promise of letting me eat in it.

Edward turns around and sees me on the bed, making a guttural noise that almost sounds like a growl. I smile at him.

"The most expensive lingerie in the world would not look as sexy on you as my clothes do," he says as he settles down on the bed next to me. He immediately pulls me towards him, his hands up underneath the shirt, his mouth attacking mine hungrily. I kiss him back and start to straddle him again when my stomach growls loudly.

"Ok, I guess we need to feed you, huh?" he says as he kisses me lightly behind my ear.

"Mmmmm," I hum. "Yeah, I'm pretty fucking hungry."

Edward cracks open two beers as I take a giant bite out of a hamburger. The pickles may cause me to come again they're that fucking good.

"Honestly, Bella, that's pretty gross. Fried pickles? Really?"

"Whatever, loser. These little fuckers are orgasmic. Have you ever had one?" I shove one towards his face.

"For you," he says, opening his mouth as I pop a pickle slice in it. He chews thoughtfully and then takes a swig of his drink. "Not bad. Different. Are they a regional thing?" he asks.

"Yeah, I think. Taylor Grocery right outside of Oxford...Mississippi," I clarify, "has the best, in my opinion. Or, I don't know, maybe it's the atmosphere. They have the best catfish too. Oxford is a cool place. I really wanted to get my PhD there, but Jake was insistent on New Orleans. I loved living there, but I still regret not going to Ole Miss. They have a really amazing Southern studies program. I did a little work for the Southern Foodways Alliance, which is based there, but never spent any real time there. That's where Faulkner lived, you know. At Rowan Oak. I always loved that name for a farm." I have no idea where the history nerd word vomit has come from. Edward is just staring at me. He looks sort of awed and fascinated, but he's eaten at least four more pickles, so I think I may have converted him.

"We should go to Oxford," he says, totally surprising me. "Is it far from here?"

"Um, no, not really. A few hours. That'd be fun. There's really a lot do, even though it's a small town." We're making plans. I like it. He smiles and nods his head as he pops another pickle into his sexy mouth. I think I could get used to watching him eat.

"So did you have any other plans tonight? Do you want to go see if we can find some music somewhere?" he asks.

"Yeah, definitely," I smile at him. "The Rum Boogie always has a good band playing. Been there yet?"

"Nope. Let's do it. Do you have to change out of my clothes?" he asks me, grinning.

"Well, I was thinking about stealing them," I laugh. "But I guess I can put my own back on."

We both get dressed, polish off the rest of the beer and pickles, and head out of the room. Beale Street is in rare form tonight. The rain has kept everyone cooped up all day and now that it's dry and cool, people are spilling into the streets. I can hear the mule carts trotting down the cobblestone street, music is drifting out from the restaurants and bars, frogs and crickets are singing, and there is an Elvis on every corner. Edward wraps his arm around my waist as I light up a cigarette, which he immediately ganks from me. I laugh out loud and light another one, and we stay entangled in each other as we head towards the Rum Boogie.

"Do you know of the healing power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?" A Bible thumper jumps in front of us.

I laugh. "Man, I worship the trees and the frogs and good food and soul music. Jesus ain't got nothin' on that." The Jesus freak just stares at me. I love tripping them up. Without a word, he reaches into his bag and hands me a teddy bear that's wearing a t-shirt that says "Jesus Loves Me." Edward bursts into laughter as I reach for the bear, smacking him in the chest with it. He pulls me into the bar and kisses me sweetly as we settle down into a booth and are surrounded by the gritty, wailing sound of the Delta Blues.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've been on vacation for 2 weeks and shit was EPIC! **_

_**Anyway, special thanks as always to RobsSwissMiss, bierbeck, texaskatherine and becky_boodles for holding my hand and stroking my hair lovingly. I am nothing without them. **_

_**Hi to all you new readers! Leave me some love, won't ya? It validates my life. :) Also follow me on twitter (donnersun) if you dare. **_

_**Ok. Without further procrastination, I give you chapter 7. Enjoy! **_

Alice and I are sitting on the patio, enjoying the quiet morning air and a cup of tea. Louie is between us, wrestling with a bowl of peanuts while the goat stands under the table eating the shells he drops. I take a long pull of my cigarette, leaning my head back and watching the smoke I exhale circle up into the clear blue sky. It's a welcome peace; the humidity and haze hasn't set in yet and the day still feels fresh.

"So you and Edward are getting pretty serious, huh?" Alice breaks the silence.

"Yeah, I guess. I really like him. And he hasn't run screaming yet, so I guess he must not find me too repulsive," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Oh shut up Bells. You are not repulsive and you know it. Stop fishing for reassurance. So have you guys, you know, sealed the deal yet?" she raises her eyebrows and asks.

"No. I mean, not like, all the way sealed it. You mean have we fucked yet, right? It's too early in the morning to decode your girl talk."

"Fucked is a crass word. But yes, that's what I meant. It's only been like two weeks, right? It's cool that he's not being pushy about. He's not, is he?"

"No, not at all. He seems to just understand me, without me having to explain shit to him. But sometimes I feel like he's walking on eggshells around me. I don't want him to be _too_ careful, you know?"

"Yeah, but there's no need to rush into things. I mean, if it's meant to be, then it's meant to be. You just have to be honest with him."

"I know. It's just so fucking hard to talk about shit sometimes. I feel like a lunatic. The logical part of my brain knows I'm being absurd, but the crazy part overrides it most of the time." I light up another cigarette and pull Louie to my chest. He snuggles into my neck and calms my overworked brain.

"Well, you are a lunatic. That's why we love you," Alice smiles at me. "You think too much. If you want to move forward with him, tell him. Or just jump him. Whatever seems right at the time."

I laugh at her logic. "Yeah. He's been so busy the past couple of weeks, talking with realtors and looking at property and shit. He's been out in Germantown and Collierville a lot. And he's talking about putting a clinic in right downtown. I think he might actually stay here for a while. I can't believe he's still living at The Peabody. Although I have become rather attached to the ducks. We just haven't had much alone time."

"You know, there's all that space above the bar and shop. If you got your shit together and went through all that crap you have squirreled away up there it could be turned into a pretty cool loft," Alice says, trying to be nonchalant, but I can tell she's been giving this some thought.

I sigh and just look at her, not needing to explain to her that I've already thought about it. She and Jasper have been gently nudging me to start going through the boxes from my past since we moved to Memphis. The thought of having Edward living next door to me could be the thing that actually propels me to do it. I stub my cigarette out and stand, shuffling Louie up to my shoulder.

"You guys are busy this week, aren't you?" I ask her.

"Yeah. We have events every night and I have four cakes to get done. Plus it's the end of the month, so Jas has a lot of paperwork and shit to do."

"Well, let me know if you need any help. I'll keep things in order on the home front. I need to finish that article I'm supposed to be writing," I tell her, cursing my writer's block. I owe _Southern Cultures_ an article on barbeque for their annual foodways issue but I'm ten pages in and all I've talked about is the relationship early Southerners had with the pig. I don't think that's what they're looking for. Well, at least not ten pages of it.

Jasper comes out the back door and he and Alice head over to the deli so that she can work on her cakes and he can do payroll. I decide to take advantage of the quiet house and go back inside and stare at a blinking cursor for a half hour before giving up and rolling a joint. That's where Edward finds me two hours later, sunk into the sofa with half the joint left, my eyes closed and listening to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band do an amazing version of Basin Street Blues. He doesn't say anything, just plops down beside me, taking the joint and inhaling deeply. I smile and turn so that I can drape my legs across his lap and his hands immediately start to travel up my pajama pants towards the inside of my thigh.

"Mmmmmm," I hum. "You're not helping me be productive," I tell him.

"No offense, but I think the fact that you're sitting on the couch in your pajamas getting geeked up is doing a better job than I am," he retorts.

"Touche, Cullen. Wanna write an article about meat for me?"

He laughs loudly and hands me the roach. I stub it out and stand up. "Wanna see something?"

"Care to be more cryptic, Swan?" he smiles. "Yes, of course I'd love to see whatever it is you have to show me."

I reach for his hand and pull him up, and he follows me downstairs and outside. We go through the deli and I wave at Jasper and Alice as I lead Edward up the stairs to the second story.

"Oh wow. I didn't realize this was up here," he says. "Well, I guess I did but never thought about it. What's all this stuff?"

"I'm a packrat. I have a hard time throwing shit away. A lot of it is horse stuff that I'm sure I'll never use again, and a lot of it is stuff that came from my grandad's place when he died," I explain. Edward is wandering around the space, peeking in boxes. I hope there's nothing truly embarrassing in here.

"What's under here?" he asks as he pulls a drop cloth off of my grandmother's upright piano. "Oh wow Bella. Do you play?"

"No. Well, not really. I can bang out a few chords, but I never had lessons or anything. It belonged to my grandmother. I thought my dad and Jasper were going to kill me when I insisted on bringing it here. It was not easy to move."

Edward lifts the cover and peers inside, and then starts playing the damned thing. Holy shit…if I thought it was hot to watch him eat, watching those fingers tickle piano keys was going to be the death of me.

"Wow. So you can play piano. Cool," I say, still in awe.

"A little," he laughs. "I haven't played in years. It needs to be tuned."

"Well, my goal for the summer is to get this shit cleaned up. I think this space can be better utilized for something else," I hint. I really wish he could read my mind, because I'm suddenly uncomfortable bringing this up to him.

"Oh yeah? What'd you have in mind?" he asks.

"Well, I don't know. I was thinking it would be a cool place to live. Not for me, I mean. But you must be sick of living in a hotel and if you're planning on staying a while and I have this place, then I thought maybe…" I'm stuttering like an idiot.

"That maybe I could move in here? Seriously? That would be pretty fantastic, Bella," he smiles. I breathe a giant sigh of relief.

"You think? I was worried about bringing it up. I don't want you to think I'm being weird or anything. I know we've only known each other for a few weeks, but it's not like I'll be living here too and it really is a waste of space for me to use it like this. I already know you better than some random renter. Plus, it's just adding to my insanity that this crap is sitting up here. So if you'll help me sort through all of it, you can move in." Jesus the word vomit kicks into high gear when I'm nervous. "I just figured you were getting sick of living in a hotel, even though the room service kicks ass."

"It's a deal," he says, grinning. "But this is a lot of stuff. We have our work cut out for us. When do we start?"

"Um, now, I guess. I'm kind of scared," I confess.

Edward crosses the room at lightening speed and wraps his arms around me.

"That's why I'm here. We'll do it together. I won't let it get too scary. Promise." He kisses the top of my head. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze as hard as I can.

"I kinda like you," I tell him.

"Yeah, I kinda like me too," he laughs. I stomp on his foot and laugh.

"Ow. You are so abusive," he chuckles. "Let's get started before you bruise me again."

"Oh god, I don't even know where to start. I just look at it all and get overwhelmed. I can't organize it in my brain, let alone for real."

"Yeah, I know it's tough baby. But that's just how your brain works. There were times when I had to help my mom do something as simple as sort laundry because it was so hard for her organize it. We'll get through it," he says reassuringly. I'm not sure whether to be comforted by the fact that he understands or seriously worried that he's comparing me to his crazy mother. Oh well…I guess all I can do is embrace the fact that he's willing to help and roll with it.

"Ok. I'll start with that box," I say, pointing to a large cardboard box that says "Show Stuff" on it.

"I'll help you and then once you get going I'll move onto something else. That sound good?" he asks.

"Yep," I reply as I cut open the box. Inside are bright white saddle pads and leg wraps, a couple of leather halters, bits and bridles, saddle soap, and other various things that I used to take to horse shows with me. We sort through all of it and it takes longer than it should because I explain most of it to Edward. But I'm happy to share this part of my life with him. It's nice to remember the good times; sometimes I get hung up on the bad stuff.

"I still want to come watch you ride, Bella. Every time I bring it up you change the subject. Don't think I don't notice," he tells me.

I sigh. "I know Edward. We'll go one morning this week, ok? It's just that I have, like, two different lives, you know? The horses were a part of my old life, and it didn't end on a good note. You're part of my new life and I want it to be happy."

"Bella, I understand. Really. But I don't think that horses are just a part of your past. It's obvious that you still love it and that it's very important to you. I want to be a part of that."

I smile at him and try not to spill the tears that are welling up in my eyes. "Thanks. This week. I promise. Ready to move on to box two?"

"Yes ma'am," he says, grinning.

We tackle five boxes before I decide I've had enough. It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, and Edward keeps me distracted and entertained by telling me stories of the stupid shit he did when he was in college. By late afternoon, I have a donation pile, a throw-away pile, and a keep pile. Granted, the keep pile is bigger than the other two combined, but it's some progress at least. We're both sweaty and starving, so I grab a couple of sandwiches from the kitchen and we head back over to the house.

"Eh," I huff. "I guess I could take a shower before I have to open the bar. You gonna stick around for a while?"

"Yeah, I was planning on it. I was really hoping you'd wear the turtle robe all night. If nothing else, it will keep me from having to beat drunk co-eds off of you," he grins at me.

"Oh shut up. First of all, you don't have to worry about beating anyone off of me. Give me a break. Secondly, my robe rocks. Don't be jealous because you don't have one," I playfully punch him in the arm.

"God woman. I'm going to have to start wearing long sleeves to cover the bruises you give me. Domestic abuse."

I laugh. "Don't be a pussy, Cullen. I'm going to take a quick shower," I tell him as I head towards my bedroom.

"What, no invitation to join you?" he smirks at me.

"Nope. Showers are for getting clean. All that shit you see and read about shower sex is stupid. Everything's all slippery and awkward, and I'm disgusting and don't want you touching me right now," I explain dramatically. I'm sort of fucking around with him, but sort of serious. I mean really, showers only serve one purpose. Fuck me on a bed of roses and leave the bathroom for bathing.

Edward is stalking me towards my bedroom and has backed me up to the bed, where he effectively pushes me down on top of it and hovers over me. He leans in and kisses me deeply, our tongues fighting for possession of each other's mouths. I groan and run my hands down both sides of his strong jaw line, the stubble tickling my palms. I grasp the back of his neck and pull him closer to me and he brings his knee up to rest in between my legs.

He breaks the kiss and looks deeply into my eyes. "I'm proud of you sweetheart. That was hard, I know. Thanks for letting me help you."

"It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. Because you were there. Thanks for understanding," I smile.

"Of course baby," he grins. "Ok. Go take a shower and don't do anything dirty in there," he laughs as he stands up and backs away from me.

I grumble in frustration but I know I deserve that one, so I roll off the bed and head towards the bathroom, jumping as he smacks my ass.

Clean and refreshed, I wander over to make sure that Alice and Jasper don't need any help while Edward is in the shower. They've already got the van loaded and Jasper is in the driver's seat, waiting for Alice as she hurries around grabbing last minute things. I lean in through the window and give Jasper a half-hug, resting my forehead against his.

"I feel like I haven't spent any time with you at all lately. I miss you," I tell him.

"I know. It's been so fucking busy, and this week isn't going to be any better. Hopefully we won't be out too late tonight," he says.

"Well, be careful. I'll be here when you get back. Love you guys," I say as Alice jumps in the front seat and bangs on the dashboard. Apparently they're running late.

"Have a good night!" she yells out the passenger side window as Jasper pulls out of the driveway. I have to laugh at her; she gets amazingly frantic when she's got a big party to do.

I wander around front to say hello to Bill and Pops. Bill nickers as I approach and I feel guilty for not spending more time with him the past few days. His lips start to quiver as I reach down into my pocket and pull out a sugar cube, and he grunts with happiness as he slowly chews the treat. I smile and rest my head against his, like I did with Jasper, hoping that some of his peace and grounding will transfer through. He immediately coughs all over me, covering my shirt in sticky slobber. Par for the course, I suppose.

"How's life been, Pops?"

"Oh, can't complain. Could use some rain. But business is good," he replies quietly.

"Yeah. We've been really busy. Alice and Jasper have something every night for the next couple of weeks. Bar's been busy too."

Pops nod. "Pays the bills."

"Yessir. You want a drink?" I ask as I slap Bill on the neck and turn towards the front door. Pops doesn't reply, but simply ties the reins up and climbs down out of the carriage, following me into the shadowy bar.

He takes his usual seat and I slide him a glass as several other guys wander in. I get the lights on and the music going right as Edward comes in through the screen door, letting it slam shut with a satisfying smack. I smile as I hear my grandad's voice yell not to slam the door, something he always said but never meant. There's something about a screen door slamming that just makes everything right with the world.

Edward has been hanging out with me in the bar most nights. I have a feeling that it stems from my issues with James, who I luckily haven't seen since the last time we ran into him. I appreciate the company, but I feel bad that he feels obligated to watch over me. After the whole James-trying-to-rape me thing, I went out and bought a taser and I've honestly been itching to use it on the bastard. Haven't gotten the chance, though. I guess that's a good thing, but it would be fun to shock the fucker on his nasty dick. Because that's exactly what I'd aim for.

"Come back to me Bella," Edward says, snapping me out of my junk-tasing planning.

"Oh shit. Sorry. What were you saying? I'm sorry. I was thinking about how I want to electrocute James' dick."

Edward's eyes get really big and then he just doubles over in laughter. "Nevermind. I can't follow that."

I start to laugh with him. "I'm sorry. That's really inappropriate, isn't it? I was just thinking about the satisfaction I would get out of tasing him in his nasty, disease ridden penis. I bet I could make it fall off."

"Oh Jesus you have to stop. I may die of laughter and I really don't want to hear you talk about that asshole's dick, even if you are talking about light-sabering it off."

"Sorry," I laugh. "Ok. No more penis talk." I turn to start refilling some drinks, but before I get too far, Edward pulls me to him and kisses me deeply and possessively, a growl rumbling deep inside his chest. He pulls away and the laughter is gone from his eyes.

"Just the idea of that fucker being anywhere near you makes me homicidal," he says lowly as he brushes my hair out of my face. I want to tell him that I'm all his and will never be anyone else's, but fuck, that just seems too soon. I hope he feels it, even though I'm too much of a freakshow to say it. So instead of talking, I just reach up and pull him back to me saying with a kiss what I can't say with words.

I break the kiss off when I come to my senses and realize that I'm making out with him in front of a semi-full bar and people are starting to stare. Edward glances up and looks around the room, grinning and grabbing my ass, pulling me closer to him. If he had a club and a loincloth he could pass for a caveman. I kind of like being possessed, though, so I don't give him shit for it. I kiss his jaw and wiggle away from his grasp, attending to empty glasses and making small talk with the regulars. The phone rings a couple of times, and I keep expecting it to be Jasper checking in on me, but each time I'm just met with silence on the other end. The fifth time it rings, Edward grabs the receiver before I can and tells whoever is on the other end to fuck off. Apparently it works, because we're blessed with phone silence for the rest of the night.

As has become our routine, Edward helps me clean up and shut down. He insists on watching me lock the front door from the inside and then walking me through the back to the house.

"Hey people!" Louie shouts as we walk in.

"Hey crazy," I reply, laughing.

"I have to meet with an attorney at eight tomorrow morning," Edward says as he turns towards me.

"You wanna get breakfast? Maybe afterwards, because seven is too fucking early to be eating," I say.

"Of course. Want me to meet you here around ten?" he asks.

"No, I'll meet you at the hotel. There's a really good place right across the street."

"I don't want you to have to walk up there by yourself. I really don't mind swinging by here on my way back from the attorney's office."

I huff, annoyed that for some reason he doesn't think I can manage walking a few blocks in broad daylight on my own. "Edward, seriously. I appreciate it. But I am perfectly capable of walking down the street on my own. I'll meet you at the hotel at ten, ok?"

He frowns in frustration, but doesn't argue with me. "Ok. I'll text you when I'm done."

"Thank you," I smile at him. He leans in and kisses me sweetly. I groan because I can't take much more of this chaste shit, and he laughs.

"Problem, Swan?"

"Stay here tonight," I say as a latch my hands around his neck and pull him towards the stairs. I bite his bottom lip and he growls, though at the biting or the sleepover suggestion, I'm not sure.

"I have to be at the lawyer's in five hours, Bella. Plus, I'm sure Alice and Jasper will be home soon. I want you all to myself," he says, his voice raspy with want.

"Fine," I grumble. I know he's right, but it's still really fucking frustrating.

"Dream of me," he says, kissing me again and then turning to leave.

I take a deep breath as the door clicks shut and gather my bird and cat, taking them both up to my bedroom with me. Louie settles on the headboard and Fraggle climbs under the covers as I put my pajamas back on. Both of them are purring as I climb into bed, hoping that I will, in fact, dream of Edward.

_**Reviews make JesusBear happy. Just sayin'...**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Good lord this chapter was a son of a bitch. Special thanks to RobsSwissMiss, bierbeck, TexasKatherine and Becky_Boodles, my beta, for not disowning me. And thanks to everyone reading this for not flouncing while I dicked around and didn't update for ages. **

**It's very important that you check this song out before you read: **http: / / youtube .com /watch?v=KM05P-xcPCc **It's a version of St. James Infirmary performed by Jim James and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The quality isn't great, but this version is REALLY hard to find online. It's been my "first lemon" song since I started writing this story. I also listened to "Dear Old Southland" by Louis Armstrong on repeat. **

**Disclaimer: I own a kick-ass corn bread recipe book, a new set of finger paints, and a cat named Seth. Everything else belongs to SMeyer.  
**

**This chapter in EPOV. Enjoy. I'll be hiding behind the bar doing shots of tequila if you need me. **

I can't get over how damn hot it is at ten in the morning. I'm beginning to wonder why I thought moving down here was a good idea as the sweat runs down my back and my head pounds from the asinine meeting I just had with the lawyer. The thought of eating right now repulses me, although I would probably be willing to kill someone for a cold beer. I light up a cigarette, done kidding myself that I really quit this last time. I'm about to go back inside the hotel and wait in the lobby when I hear hooves trotting briskly down the street. I look up and all the pissyness melts off of me when I see Bella guiding the mule cart down the street towards me. She's smiling and I can tell, even from this distance, that she's carrying on a conversation with Bill. His ears flick back and forth as he listens to her and he has a spring in his step that I never would have expected from just seeing him stand around. Bella pulls up in front of the hotel and manages to parallel park the damn mule cart while I stand on the sidewalk laughing at the sight. She hugs Pops goodbye and kisses Bill on the muzzle before turning towards me and grinning. I don't even care that she's just swapped spit with a mule as she wraps her arms around my neck latches herself onto me. I put my arm around her waist and pull her closer to me, seriously considering dragging her back into my hotel room. She wiggles away from me though, and links her arm through mine, pulling me towards the other side of the street.

"Have you been here yet?" she asks, pointing at the restaurant across the street.

"No. I'm not really much of a breakfast person. You're in a good mood."

She shrugs. "Just happy. Cockadoo's is so good. They make sweet potato hash browns and put marshmallows in the middle of them."

"That sounds interesting. You've had me eating the strangest stuff. I'm kind of scared about what might come next," I laugh.

"Don't worry. I don't do pigs feet or any of that shit. And you can't get soft shell crabs out here, so I won't subject you to them. Even though they are really fucking incredible. There's always a wait here, but it shouldn't be too long," she says as we get to the front of the restaurant.

I have to admit, the smells coming out of the front door make my mouth water. Bella shoves both of her hands into my front pockets and pulls me closer, leaning against me and breathing deeply. I've completely forgotten about the heat at this point; I can't get close enough to her. I rest my chin on the top of her head and we stand there like that until a table opens up for us. The food really is amazing and Bella finishes most of mine after she devours hers. I'm pretty impressed at the amount of food this woman can eat in one sitting. This thought leads to another, and suddenly I'm filled with an intense need to get her out of this restaurant and naked, perhaps covered in marshmallow.

"Earth to Edward. Are you in a sweet potato and marshmallow induced coma?" Bella says loudly from across the table.

I snap out of it and laugh. "No, sorry. You ready?" I ask as I snatch up the ticket. I leave cash on the table and we head back out to the street, walking towards her place. I notice that Bella's limping again. It's slight, and I decide not to say anything about it at the moment. But I'm worried that she's not seeing a doctor on a regular basis. She could have issues with other parts of her body that she doesn't even know about, and she'll really regret not taking care of herself when she can't walk in twenty years.

"Fuckin' Eli it's hot out, isn't it?" Bella snaps me out of my thoughts again. "I wanted to go ride but didn't get up early enough this morning and now it's too hot."

"I don't have anything going on tomorrow. Want to go then?" I ask her.

"Sure. I guess we can tackle some more boxes today if you're up for it," she says, looking up at me and smiling.

"Absolutely," I tell her, taking her hand in mine and squeezing. "I can't wait until we get to the embarrassing baby pictures," I laugh.

"Oh my god. Who knows what's in half of those boxes. My grandma was a pack rat and I'm not much better. There's probably shit in there that belonged to my dad when he was a kid."

We're almost to her house by this point and the temperature makes me grateful it's a short walk from the hotel to Beale Street. The heat is rising off the asphalt in waves and people seem to be moving in slow motion. Exhaust from the cars and buses hangs heavy in the air and there's not even the usual breeze off the river. It truly is stifling and I really don't understand how people made do without air conditioning. I wonder if Bella will cave and turn on the a/c in the bar tonight, already knowing the answer.

"Hey Miss Leena," Bella says to an older woman behind the counter in the deli. "Been busy?"

"Not today," the woman replies. "Too hot to eat."

"We just came from Cockadoo's. It was busy, but it always is. I ate too much," Bella laughs.

"Hey, have you met my, um, Edward?" Bella trips up over what to call me and I have to stifle a laugh. I know how she feels. And the fact that she called me her Edward makes me want to throw her over my shoulder and carry her upstairs. But I restrain myself since we are in front of one of her employees.

"Mmm hmmm. Seen him around," she says to Bella and then looks me dead in the eye. I'm suddenly a little afraid for my manhood. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." I have no idea what else to say to this woman. I'm suddenly aware that Bella has an army of possibly certifiably insane people at her back. And a mule who probably wouldn't hesitate to kick my head in. And yet, here I stand, ready to take them all on. She's really done a number on me.

"Ok then," Bella says, looking back and forth between me and Leena. "Let's go sort through some boxes."

I follow her upstairs, trying to grab her ass the whole way up but she stays at least three steps ahead of me and then takes off running when she hits the floor. Bad move on her part because I know I'm faster than her, and her running from me just makes me want to catch her more. I'm able to throw my arm around her waist as she careens around the corner of the piano, and I pull her towards me. Her laughter is gone as she wraps her arms around my neck and hoists herself up so that her legs are wrapped around my waist.

"You caught me. What next, Cullen?" she whispers, her voice raspy and out of breath. Her mouth is about a half an inch from mine so instead of answering her, I lean towards her and take her bottom lip in my teeth. She arches her back, grinding herself into me as I back towards the piano bench and sit down so that she's now straddling me. Thunder rolls in the distance and she tenses up for a split second as rain begins to beat down on the tin roof. Hopefully the rain will cool things off, but for now the air is electric and the heat heavy. Bella runs her hands up through my hair, groaning and humming into my mouth.

"I can't wait any longer, Edward. I need you. Now," she pleads and I know I can't deny her any longer. It's been killing me too, but I don't want to hurt her or do anything she might regret later. Sometimes she seems so fragile but then she turns around and acts like she could take on the world. I don't know where we stand half the time, but that's part of the appeal, I think.

She stands up and I growl at the loss of contact. I watch her walk over to the old record player we unearthed yesterday, and she slips a record out of its sleeve and places it on the table. A scratchy, wailing trumpet fills the air and time stops as she turns back towards me. She straddles me again and rests her forehead against mine, taking a shaky breath.

"I know. I need you too. Are you sure this is ok?" It's now or never and I want her to be in control. Although I think my dick may detach himself from my body and run away if we don't really go through with it this time.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Edward. Fuck that sounds cheesy. But it's true. Please."

I smile and cup her head in my hands, kissing her ravenously. Her hands move up and down my torso, over my back, my shoulders, and back up into my hair as I pull at her shirt. She yanks it up over her head and tosses it down to the floor and I reach around to unclasp her bra, taking her erect nipple into my mouth. Her hand tightens around my neck and she moans my name, erasing any doubt or worry from my mind. The drop cloth is still on the floor, so I stand up, taking her with me, and settle us back down on top of it. There's a stack of horse blankets under the cloth, so I figure she's not too uncomfortable. I lean over her for a second and smile at the red splotches that have popped up on her chest, her heavy breathing, her cloudy eyes. I pull my own shirt over my head and she reaches for me, pulling me closer to her as her hands move towards the buttons on my jeans. I wrap my hands around her wrists, stopping her.

"Slow down, baby. We have all the time in the world," I say into her ear as a rumble of thunder claps loudly. She gasps, whether from the noise or me, I'm not sure. I smile and bite her earlobe and she relaxes again as I release her from my grasp. Her hands trail down my stomach and back towards my buttons but I don't stop her again because, who am I kidding...I really want her hands there. She pops the buttons one at a time and grins because she knows I'm full of shit.

"You don't really want me to stop, do you Edward?" she purrs at me.

"No, not really," I smile at her.

She continues with the buttons until they're all undone, and then takes me in her soft hand. I nearly collapse on top of her, burying my head in her hair and breathing deeply. The music, the rain, the heat, Bella's hand on my cock...all swirl around me in an intoxicating symphony.

"Switch places with me," she says. I move so that she's over top of me now, and she starts tugging at my belt loops. I lift my hips and she slides my pants all the way off, crawling back up and taking all of me in her mouth in one deep, quick movement.

"Fuck baby," I pant, involuntarily thrusting towards her. She hums in response and the vibration nearly throws me over the edge, so I pull her up to me, getting rid of the rest of her clothes in a hurry. I slip one hand in between her legs, and she twists and arches against me.

"Oh god Edward. I need you inside me. Please, please baby," she says.

"Patience," I mutter, as I sit up and flip her so that she's under me again. I kiss her jaw, her neck, down her collarbone to her shoulder, where I place soft kisses on the horseshoe, the mule, the pelican. I come around to her breasts again, giving them both equal attention as she writhes underneath me. I continue down her sternum, her belly, the soft skin over her hip bones, the insides of her thighs, until I'm finally at the place I want to be. She laces her fingers through my hair as I slip one finger and then another inside her and brush my tongue over her clit. She bucks against me and I drink her up. She's like a drug I can't get enough of.

"Fuck Edward. I'm gonna..." she trails off with a gasp and I feel her tighten around my fingers and she explodes around me. I retrace my kisses back up to her mouth, putting one hand behind her back and lifting her up to me. She kisses me back hard, wrapping her legs around me and thrusting towards me. I take me free hand and start searching for my pants to get a condom, when she breaks the kiss.

"What are you doing?" she asks breathlessly.

"Condom," I say into her mouth.

"Get the shot. As long as you promise not to give me the clap we're cool," she replies, kissing and biting down my jaw and neck.

"I just got tested. Haven't been with anyone since..."

She cuts me off by putting her tongue in my ear, and I groan as I guide myself into her. We both gasp at the same time and she buries her head into my shoulder and starts to rock back and forth slowly, in time to the tinny guitar and thumping upright bass. I lose all sense of time as we move together; the rain becomes heavier and thunder crashes around us, but she doesn't even seem to notice. I'm getting close, so I slip my hand down between us and brush my thumb over her clit. She tenses for a split second before I start moving my hand to the rhythm of us and the music.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she chants softly, and I have to smile at her.

"Come, baby," I tell her as I thrust into her harder, and that's all it takes. She shudders around me and I follow closely, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her to my chest. She collapses against me as the song ends and the rain calms, and I lean us both back down to our makeshift pillow. She shivers as I pull out, both of us mourning the loss of the connection. I reach behind me and grab an old flannel sheet, wrapping it around us as she snuggles into my side. I kiss her temple and brush the damp hair out of her face, and we both sigh deeply, not needing to speak a word.

It's still raining and I think Bella might be asleep. I'm on the verge of drifting off too, the sound of the rain on the roof plus the amazing sex we just had is lulling me into a state of unconsciousness. But, as is becoming the norm, Bella surprises me when she begins to groggily speak.

"You know that episode of Buffy when her and Riley get possessed in the weird frat house and can't stop having sex?"

I'm a little pleased with myself because I can already see where this is going. "No. I didn't watch Buffy," I tell her, bracing myself for an elbow in the ribs.

"I'm too zonked out to knee you in the nuts for not watching Buffy," is all she replies. I laugh and roll her over so she's on top of me, and she rests her head in the crook of my neck as I wrap my arms around her.

"Sorry baby. I was never into the whole vampire thing." She responds by biting my neck and I groan, sitting up and putting her back down on the nest of horse blankets. Thunder claps again, but it's further away this time and she doesn't flinch. She pulls her t-shirt back on and shimmies back into her underwear as I put my jeans back on. Lighting up a cigarette, I look at her and smile.

"You good?" I ask her.

"Better than good," she says as she reaches for the cigarette and takes a long pull. The smoke drifts up towards the ceiling fan as she leans back into the pile of blankets, stretching her legs out. I want to ravage her again; she's so fucking beautiful and now she's mine. From the turtle robe to her crazy ass bird to her manic tendencies, I want it all. Forever. And it doesn't even really scare me anymore. For the first time in a long, long time I feel content. Like I'm where I'm supposed to be.

"Good," I tell her simply, running my hand up her leg. "Your foot's swollen again."

She continues to watch the ceiling fan spin slowly. "Yeah." I guess that's the end of that conversation. She hands the cigarette back to me, and I finish it and stub it out in an old ash tray we found the other day that's shaped like the state of Louisiana with a mule on it. I smile looking at it. It's so Bella. Antique, chipped and cracked yet beautiful in its own way. And featuring a mule, of course.

"What are you grinning about?" she asks me lazily.

"Just thinking about how perfectly this ashtray sums up your personality," I smirk at her. She rolls her eyes and stands up, stretching. I can't help but run my hands up her sides as her shirt lifts up, and she giggles and scoots aways from me.

"Over-stimulation, Cullen," she laughs. "You're just trying to distract me because you don't want to go through any more of my shit."

"Not true, Swan. The faster I go through your shit, the sooner I can move out of the fucking hotel," I say, adding _and across the patio from you_ in my head.

**Review please? :) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to RobsSwissMiss, bierbeck, texaskatherine, and my beta Becky_Boodles. The next round of Slurpees is on me. ;-)**

**Jasmine belongs to Stef, Ben belongs to Marsha, and Satch belongs to me. Everything else belongs to SMeyer.  
**

I'm sitting on the bar and Edward is standing in between my legs, sucking on my neck, when Jasper walks in at two. The place has been cleared out for an hour and we've been "closing up" since then.

Jasper clears his throat as the screen door slams. I lean away from Edward's mouth and brush my hair out of my face. I wonder if I look freshly fucked, but then decide that I don't really care.

"Busy night?" Jas asks.

"Yeah, more or less," I reply, hopping down off the bar. "I guess you guys were busy too. It's late. Where's Alice?"

"She went in to take a shower and pass out. We stopped for something to eat on the way home, but I could use a drink."

"Well you've come to right place, my love," I laugh, grabbing a bottle of tequila and three shot glasses. I start my "Songs for Sleeping" playlist, and Band of Horses softly comes through the old speakers around the bar. The three of us sit around one of the tables and Edward fills the shot glasses.

"To Faulkner. And you guys," I say, raising my glass towards the mule.

"Cheers," the guys say in unison as we all throw the shots back. The tequila is warm in my belly and the music makes me feel more drunk than I really am. Jasper starts telling us about some crazy housewife who flipped her shit at the party they were catering and the sound of Edward's laughter makes me feel all warm and gooey inside. This scares me, naturally, because I never feel warm and gooey, and if I do it's probably because I've stepped in shit or made myself bleed. Because I can't act like a normal person, I jump up out of my chair and it falls backwards, clattering on the wooden floor. Edward jumps up as soon as I do, but Jasper is a fucking mind reader and knows I'm being an idiot, so he stays in his seat.

"Bella, what happened?" Edward exclaims, reaching out for my arm. I shrug him off and turn towards the bar.

"Nothing. Nothing. I'm sorry. I just need some water." I'm such a fucking spazz. Edward just looks bewildered, but sits back down after picking my chair up. I fill a glass with water and ice and power that shit down, my back turned to them. I get the crazy under control and center myself. It's been a fantastic fucking day and I refuse to let my wacky ass mind ruin it.

"I'm ok, really," I tell a worried looking Edward as I sit back down. "Sometimes I just flip out for no reason."

Jasper laughs. "It's true man. She does. Just ignore it," he says, winking at me. I kick him under the table and roll my eyes. Edward laughs and shrugs, and I think we're back on track. He lights a cigarette, which I promptly steal from him, and Jasper pours us all another shot.

"This is the last one, " I say.

"To you, then," Edward says, making sex eyes at me. My stomach does a back flip and I can feel my face flush as I down the shot. Jasper gathers up the glasses and puts the bottle back behind the bar as I flip the lights off.

"Alright. I'm heading to bed. Thanks for the company," Jasper says. He and Edward do that guy handshake half-hug thing and he heads out the back as I grab my iPod off its dock.

"So..." Edward says.

"So," I reply, turning towards him. "Edward, this really has been a fantastic day."

He doesn't respond, but closes the space between us and pulls me to him, kissing me sweetly and reverently. He ends the kiss and I wrap my arms around his middle, squeezing as hard as I can.

"Stay here tonight? It's already so late, and you said you wanted to come to the barn with me tomorrow."

"You don't have to twist my arm, Bella," he chuckles. "As long as you don't think Jasper and Alice will mind."

"I know they won't," I tell him, yawning.

"Good. I'm exhausted," he says offering his hand to me. I take it and let him lead me through the back door and across the patio to the house. Fraggle is waiting by the door and I scoop him up, burying my face into his fluffy belly. Louie is in his cage, but makes snoring noises when we walk in.

"Is the bird snoring?" Edward whispers.

I laugh. "Yeah. He's not asleep, but we taught him not to screech hello after it gets dark out." I go over to the cage and ruffle his head feathers, and he stretches towards me for a kiss. I grab his beak and plant one on him and he starts purring.

"Night Lou. Love you," I tell him. He makes a rumbling sound and tucks his head under his wing.

Edward and I creep up the dark stairwell and into my bedroom silently. I grab my pyjamas and head into the bathroom to take a quick shower. When I come out, Edward is in my bed and the sight stops me in my tracks. I smile and launch myself towards him, falling into a heap and nearly missing the cat. My bed is made of pure win even when Edward isn't in it, so the situation I'm currently faced with is pure fucking heaven. I sink into the feather top mattress pad and Edward pulls the down comforter up over us. Fraggs crawls under the covers and I'm so fucking happy I can't even speak.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Edward whispers. I kiss him and burrow into his side, passing out almost immediately.

#########

I wake up and stretch, being careful of the cat next to me, but forgetting about the man and accidentally punching him in the nose. Fortunately, he just grunts and rolls over. I poke him in the shoulder once to see if he'll wake up, but he mutters something about marshmallows and starts snoring again. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and I'm happy to see that it's only 7:30. I'm amazingly ready to get moving after only a few hours sleep. Fraggle hops off the bed, and I follow him into the kitchen and dump some food into his dish. I set the kettle for tea and take an ice pack out of the freezer and attach it to my foot with an Ace bandage. I was hoping Edward wouldn't notice that it was swollen yesterday but of course he did. I pop a couple (or five) Tylenol along with my happy pills and the anti-inflammatory and pray to Jesus Bear that the swelling goes down. The last thing I want to do today is get dragged to a doctor's office, and I wouldn't put it past Edward to take me kicking and screaming. I find cold steak and pasta salad in the fridge, and I'm gnawing on a hunk of meat when Alice emerges from their bedroom.

"That's truly disgusting, Bella," she rolls her eyes at me.

"Don't be jealous of my meat, bitch. Want some?" I ask her through my full mouth, shoving a piece of steak in her face. She smacks my hand away and shakes her head at me. Pouring herself some tea, she turns around and gives me the Alice eyeball.

"Don't look at me like that. Yes, we slept together. It was amazeballs. He's asleep in my bed right now. If you want to go peek in and look at the pretty, I won't bitch slap you. Just this once, though."

She almost snorts tea out of her nose as she does a silent squeal-spin-twist move that's pretty fucking amazing and then launches herself towards me. I somehow manage to catch her before she tackles me and she gives me an surprisingly rib-shattering hug before she lets go.

"I'm so happy for you!" she whisper-screams. "You deserve it. But I'm telling you right now, if he hurts you I will scratch his eyeballs out like a rabid cat."

I can't help but laugh at her. "Ok. I appreciate it. But don't worry. I'm not getting hurt again. I'll never let myself get into another one of those...situations...again."

"Well, it's good to not be a doormat. But don't shut yourself off to him either Bella. You know how you are. Don't assume the worst, and don't be afraid of confrontation," she says.

"I know. It's not going to be easy, but I feel like he's not going to let me get away with that," I tell her. "It's like he knows how I'm going to react before my brain can process what's going on. And he makes me want to try really, really hard to _not_ shut him out. I mean, you guys obviously won't let me do that, but how many other friends do I really have? It's a lot of work to have a relationship with _anybody_, but I really want to try for him." I almost add a dramatic sigh to the end of my diatribe because it seems appropriately melodramatic. But Alice just smiles.

"Good. Ok. I'm going to head next door and start getting shit ready for this afternoon. Jasper is in the shower and then he's got to run some errands and be back here to pick me and the food up by noon. We won't be out late tonight. It's a corporate retreat thing," she tells me without taking a breath. I just salute her and turn back to my steak as she skips downstairs. Jasper emerges shortly thereafter and fills his beat up travel mug with tea.

"Morning sunshine," I say to him.

"Hey," he grumbles. He's never been a morning person but he does manage to give me a shoulder squeeze before he heads downstairs behind Alice. And suddenly I'm alone in the house with Edward. I rip the stupid fucking ice pack off my foot and try to bring sexy back as I stalk towards my bedroom, evil plans spinning in my head. He's stretched out across the entire bed, laying on his stomach with his face smooshed into the pillows. He looks so peaceful I almost feel bad for what I'm about to do, but the feeling passes quickly. I take a running start and leap onto the bed, jumping as hard as I can and yelling "Earthquake!" a couple of times before straddling his ass.

"You're out of your fucking mind," he mumbles into the pillow, and then flips over so quickly I can't move to get away from him. "Waking me up like that. There will probably be consequences, you know."

I grin at him. "That was the idea, Cullen. What are you gonna do about it, now that you're _up_?" I emphasize the last word and waggle my eyebrows and my hips like a complete perv.

"How about I fuck the good morning out of you?"

Ok, that honestly takes me by surprise, so of course I lose my shit and burst out into hysterics. Fortunately he starts laughing too; I'm 87% sure he was joking.

"Dare ya to try," I tell him, and that seems to do the trick. He reaches up and pulls me down towards him and I kind of feel bad about not brushing my teeth after the morning steak, but he doesn't seem to mind so I roll with it. His hands are up my shirt and all over the place, and I struggle to get my penguin pj pants off at the same time I'm trying to rip him free of his boxers. I get one leg out of my pants and then gracefully fall off of him and onto the bed. He laughs and pulls the rest of my pants off, dipping his hand in between my legs on the way back up. I let out a Grade-A whore moan because goddamn, I'm seriously considering getting those fingers insured.

"So wet, Bella," he pants into my mouth as I take his erection in my hand. "You've been thinking about this all morning, haven't you?"

I answer him by arching against his hand and lifting myself up so that I'm straddling him again. I rub myself up his dick as he grabs my hips and eases me down on top of him.

"Fuck, Edward," I say as I lift myself up and come back down in one swift, hard movement. He groans and thrusts into me, reaching up and fisting my hair. "Harder." That seems to let loose some sort of sexy beast, because he growls and flips us so that he's on top now. He pulls out and then thrusts back in, filling me to the point where I can no longer form coherent thoughts. I would be ok letting this man pound the ever loving fuck out of me for the rest of my life. His mouth is on my neck, my ears, down my chest and then sucking and biting at my nipples. I can't take much more when he finally reaches down and brushes a finger over my clit. I swallow a scream, because that would be what Alice would refer to as uncouth, but I'm seriously about to explode. I bite down on his shoulder as I come and I swear to god I can hear angels singing and smell cupcakes baking. He thrusts into me one more time, hard, and I feel him climax as I dig my nails into his back. He collapses on top of me, both of us out of breath and panting. He rolls over and pulls the sheets up around us when I shiver underneath of him.

"Sorry, baby," he says quietly.

"I'm not cold," I reply. "Don't fucking apologize. That was...yeah. Fuck. I can't even..." I trail off and then shut my mouth because I've obviously lost the ability to speak properly. He just smiles and pulls me closer to him. I think about going back to sleep, but then remember we were supposed to go to the barn.

"You still wanna go with me this morning?" I ask him.

"Without a doubt. I've been looking forward it," he smiles. I sit up and kiss his nose and then hop out of bed and into the bathroom before he can swat my bare ass. I clean up and dig my riding pants out the hamper, throw my hair up on top of my head, and figure I'm presentable enough for the barn.

"Hey, can we run by the hotel so I can take a quick shower and put on clean clothes?" he asks.

"Yeah," I reply. "I'm in no hurry. I think it's supposed to be cooler today anyway. I'm gonna have to borrow Leena's car since Jasper is out running errands, so as long as we're back by three, we should be cool."

"How about I walk to the hotel, do what I need to do, and then you can just pull up to the front and pick me up in about a half hour. That work?" he asks.

This is so fucking domestic. I love it. "Sounds good," I say. He leans in and kisses me before clomping down the stairs. I hear him say good morning to Louie before he heads through the back door.

#########

Marsha is wrestling with one of her youngsters when we pull up to the barn. Embry and Sam rush up to the car, and Edward doesn't give the dogs a second glance as he kneels down to say hello to them.

"That dog is almost as big as your cat," Edward laughs. "What's going on over there?" he asks as he points towards Marsha and the roundpen.

"Oh, well, that's Marsha. She owns the place. And the horse is Ben, I think. One of her babies. She breeds really, really nice horses, but they're all headcases," I explain. Moosey is standing at the gate nickering for me, so I grab Edward's hand and lead him over.

"This is Moose," I tell him as I clip a lead rope onto the big gelding's halter. Edward reaches out and runs a hand down his head and Moose promptly sneezes all over him.

"I guess that's his way of saying hello, huh?" he laughs. I lead the horse towards the barn and Edward walks beside us. He asks lots of questions while I'm tacking Moose up, and seems really sincerely interested. This is new territory for me, because Jacob was always jealous of the horses. He and Sera hated each other. She knew he was douchebag; I should have listened to her and saved myself a lot of grief.

I finally get Moosey ready and pull on my boots. Edward follows us out to the arena and I point him in the direction of a couple of chairs set up in the shade. I take my time warming the gelding up, letting him stretch and sneeze and shake his head until he's loose and ready to do some real work. I've been trying to clean up his lead changes; he's lazy and always changes in the front before he switches leads with his back legs. We canter over some poles so he starts to lift his back and pick up his feet and then I turn down the diagonal and ask for a change in the center of the arena. He snorts and bucks when I tap him with the whip, but mid-buck he switches leads, so I give him the reins and let him canter off in the new direction. He feels awesome today; collected, soft, and energetic, and I'm grinning ear to ear when I notice Edward has stood up and looks distressed. I sit back and Moose comes back to a trot, and then a walk, and I head over to Edward to see what the problem is.

"What's wrong?" I ask him as Moose shakes his head.

"Nothing. I was just worried for a second. Why did he jump up like that? And then he took off running. I don't want you to get hurt," he tells me.

I laugh, and he glares at me. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. Honestly, it's nice that you're concerned. No one has ever really cared before," I tell him and his expression softens. "Moose is lazy so I have to tap him with the whip in the changes. That pisses him off, but it gets him moving. He bucked, but he switched leads, so I let him have the reins and canter off. It's like a reward to him," I explain. "Believe me, this horse isn't going to hurt me. He does everything in slow motion. I'd be off of him and back to the barn before he ever got that far."

Edward looks a little better after my explanation. "Ok. I guess you're the expert," he laughs. "I'll just sit back down and keep my mouth shut."

I smile and gather up the reins as Moose snorts in protest. "You didn't really think we were done, did you big guy?" I ask the horse. We trot away from Edward and do some lateral work before going back to the changes. Moose nails them in each direction, so I let him finish on a good note and drop the reins, letting him walk to cool off. After his breathing slows down, I head back towards Edward.

"So what did you think?" I ask him.

"Bella, I'm honestly amazed. You seem so happy and comfortable doing that. Like it just comes natural to you. And it's pretty fucking hot too," he grins up at me.

I roll my eyes. "I don't know about hot. Unless you mean it literally because I'm about to fucking sweat to death," I say as I hop down off the horse. I loosen his girth and the noseband on the bridle and the three of us head back towards the barn. Marsha has Ben in the wash stall and is still fighting with him, this time over the fact that he won't let her anywhere near his head with the hose. I laugh and hand Moose's reins to Edward.

"Hold him for a sec, ok? He's not going anywhere." Edward warily takes the reins and side steps as Moose tries to rub his sweaty head all over him. I walk over to the wash stall and take Ben's lead rope from Marsha, and wordlessly we work together to get him to stand still long enough to wash the sweat and dirt from his face.

"Thanks, hon," Marsha says to me. She leads the young horse back outside, and he follows her hopping along and nipping at her. She elbows him in the nose a few times, but it doesn't discourage his antics. She's going to have a rough time breaking him. By the time she comes back into the barn, I've got Moose untacked and have given him a quick bath.

"Just throw him in a stall with some hay. He can stay in until it cools off later this afternoon. Who's your friend?" she asks as she eyes Edward.

"Marsha, this is Edward. Edward, Marsha," I introduce them and they shake hands. Marsha is a lot warmer than Leena, but she could still probably take Edward to the ground if she really wanted to.

"Oh hey Bella," Marsha says to me. "Jasmine only has one kitten left. He's a gray tabby. Needs a good home."

"I need another cat like I need a hole in the head, Marsh," I tell her.

"Just come look at him," she tells me, knowing I can't resist. She leads Edward and I into the feed room and a little stripped head pops up between two bales of hay. I know I'm a goner. Jasmine comes over and rubs in between my legs, and I pick her up.

"Hey mama," I say to the cat. Edward scratches her head and she leans into him, purring. I shuffle her into his arms and grab the kitten.

"Well, you know Edward, I think your new lease says that pets are allowed. Don't you want a little friend?" I ask as I hold the kitten up to my face. New kitten smell is the best in the world.

"If I say no you're never speaking to me again, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah," I tell him. He sighs and then shrugs his shoulders. I squee in delight and then trade cats with him, shoving the kitten in his face and giving Jasmine a kiss before setting her back down into the hay. The sight of Edward holding a kitten is pretty damn orgasmic, if I do say so myself.

"What's his name?" Edward asks.

"Boy, I don't name 'em! If I name 'em, they stay," Marsha laughs.

"Satch," I say.

"Satch?" Edward questions.

"Yeah. Satch. Satchmo. That's his name."

"Ok then."

I take the kitten from Edward. "Thanks Marsha. I'll be back soon. Edward, you're driving home." Marsha smiles and waves and Edward salutes me, much like I saluted Alice this morning. I giggle and we head towards the car.

"He's really cute, baby," Edward says after we get on the road. I grin and reach over to him, running my hand through his hair.

"Yeah. I kinda love him," I smile.

**You know, if everyone who has this story on alert left a review, you'd get me up to 100. Just sayin'. ;-)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Special thanks to TexasKatherine, bierbeck, Becky_Boodles, and the artist formerly known as RobsSwissMiss. ;-) I'm a whiney, needy bitch and they don't give me shit about it. I love them. **

**Playlist for this chapter:**

**_Ape Dos Mil_ Glassjaw  
_Party Over Here _Atmosphere  
_Wine, Women and Song_ Harvey Danger**

**Monkey Meat belongs to Stef, McItchy's ass belongs to me (and I'm gonna kick it soon), and a nasty head cold belongs to Bexy (I'm gonna kick its ass soon too). Everything else belongs to SMeyer.  
**

I drag ass back to the house after closing up the bar a little early. I'm exhausted, and when I get exhausted I tend to stop thinking straight. My head is spinning and I can't wait to collapse into bed. Edward is walking in front of me and turns around with a look of confusion on his face. I glance up and see people lingering around the back door and suddenly realize that I hear loud music coming from inside the house. I'm not sure how I missed the fact that there's an apparent frat party going on inside my living room, but it looks like we have company.

"I guess we're having a party," I say to Edward, who has stopped to let me catch up with him.

"Looks that way. You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just really fucking tired and not in the mood for this right now," I reply. He takes my hand and we go in through the back door. There are probably about fifty drunk people downstairs in the den. Jasper has set up a beer pong table and some horrible hip hop shit is blaring from the stereo. I immediately walk over to the music and change it to something that doesn't make my ears bleed and then go over and pour myself a beer. I'm really confused as to how they got a keg in here without me noticing. I must have been really out of it earlier tonight. Jasper is standing in the corner talking to some people and I don't see Alice around anywhere.

"I'm going to run upstairs for a second. You ok down here?" I ask Edward.

"Of course, baby. You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, I just want to go make sure someone had the sense to close the cats and Louie up in my bedroom," I tell him as I stand up on my tiptoes and quickly kiss him. I run upstairs and sigh in relief when I see my bedroom door closed. I peek in and see the two cats asleep on the bed and Louie tearing apart an orange on my dresser. I chug the rest of my beer and head back downstairs, willing myself to perk the fuck up and have fun.

Alice intercepts me on the stairs. "Hey! Three people turned into twenty and then twenty turned into fifty. Apparently Jasper wants to pretend like he's in college again tonight," she says, rolling her eyes. I can't help but laugh because I was thinking the exact same thing.

"It's cool. I'm going to go downstairs and bust their balls at beer pong," I tell her with a grin.

I survey the room looking for Edward, but he's nowhere around. I spy Jasper in the corner talking to our friend Emmett, so I head over to give him some shit, re: the rager happening in my house at the moment.

"Hey douchenozzle," I say as I bump my shoulder into Emmett. He's an assistant football coach at the University of Memphis and big as a fucking grizzly bear.

"Hey Bella. What the fuck is up? I haven't seen you in forever. Thought maybe you'd finally ran away with that mule," Emmett laughs.

"Funny," I roll my eyes at him. " Wanna play beer pong? Bet I can beat your ass."

"Oh you're on. I've already played three warm up rounds and won them all," he says, cracking his giant knuckles.

I laugh. "Ok, give me a second to track down my teammate," I tell him, scanning the room again for Edward. I see him walking in through the back door next to some little blond chick whom I don't recognize. The Bella Threat Level rises to a flaming red and I look around for a blunt object as Jasper grabs my elbow and pulls me back towards him.

"He was just out there smoking a cigarette. Calm the fuck down," he whispers into my ear. I take a deep breath and turn to face him.

"Who is she? I don't like strange women in my house."

"She came with that girl Victoria who worked for us when we first opened. They said they were over at Pat O'Brien's and saw people here. It's not a big deal, Bella," Jasper says, trying to get me to slow my roll.

"Whatever. She better keep her fucking hands off Edward. Wasn't Victoria friends with James?" I ask, my voice rising an octave as I suddenly remember exactly who Victoria is.

"Yeah, she was. But he's not here. Everyone knows he's not welcome. He wouldn't make it through the door without being tackled," Jasper reassures me.

I glance nervously around the dimly lit room. "Ok. I guess."

Edward has made his way over to us by this point and looks at me with a worried expression. I turn without saying anything and head to the bar to pour myself a tall glass of tequila.

"You gonna mix that with anything, wino?" Emmett says from behind me. I jump, startled, and then just glare at him. "Come on. Let's play," he says, grabbing my hand.

I follow Em back over to the table where Edward and Jasper are setting up cups. I narrow my eyes and announce that I'm on Emmett's team. They all turn to look at me in confusion, so I just grab a ball and sink it into a cup immediately.

"Drink up, assholes," I say with a smirk. Edward looks confused and Jasper just rolls his eyes at me. Emmett and I end up beating both of them, but all four of us are sufficiently toasted by the end of the game. I've forgiven Edward; I guess he didn't really do anything wrong, but Blondie better not come anywhere near me the rest of the night or she may lose some teeth. Before I can become homicidal again from thinking about it, Edward wraps his arm around my waist and drags me towards the back door. I'm too drunk to fight him off. Besides, I don't really want to. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm supposed to be acting pissy.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he growls into my ear. I fucking love growly Edward. I make a mental note to antagonize him more often.

"Nothing's wrong with me, Mr. Caveman. Why the fuck are you dragging me out the back door?"

He doesn't say anything, just pushes me up against the side of the house and ferociously attacks me with his mouth. He tastes like vodka and sex and I kiss him back hungrily, groaning and grinding myself up against his leg that's wedged in between my knees. He pulls back and looks at me with dark eyes.

"Why are you pissed at me?"

"Because you went outside and had a smoke with Blondie McItchy and I'm a jealous asshole," I reply, smirking. He just closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. I'm concerned for a minute that he might really be pissed, but when he looks at me again, he's smiling. I start laughing too.

"I'm sorry Edward. I was just in a bad mood and I don't like random chicks in my house. And I really don't like them hanging out alone with my boyfriend," I tell him.

"Your boyfriend, huh?" he grins at me. Fuck. Well what the hell else am I supposed to call him? I guess we're having this talk now.

"Well, I dunno. What do you want me to call you? My meat monkey? Man candy? Cabana boy?" I snort at him.

"You don't have a pool."

"Exactly." With that, he grabs me again and kisses me sweetly but with a hunger that makes me ache for him.

I'm in the middle of sucking face with my meat monkey when I hear a nasally voice behind me say, "God. Get a room." I detach myself from Edward and see McItchy standing in the doorway, lighting up a Virginia Slim Menthol. Edward isn't fast enough to catch me as I whip around and glare at the bitch, fuming.

"Why don't you get the FUCK out of my house, whore? Right now. Before I break your fucking kneecaps," I yell at her.

Edward wraps his arm around my waist again and pulls me to his chest. "Bella," he says before he looks up at the girl and speaks to her. "Why don't you get the hell out of here, ok? Through the front door. Now." She rolls her eyes at him and I strain against his arm because I really, really, REALLY want to rip her fucking bleached hair out by its black roots. She has enough sense to turn around and go back inside, but not before she flicks her pansy ass cigarette in our direction.

"Yeah. Get the fuck out and take your whore friend with you. Don't ever come back here." I shout, leaning into Edward with a heavy sigh, my head spinning and bright flashes of light dotting my periphery.

"Who was that, Bella?" Edward asks softly.

"I don't know. But she came here with this bitch Victoria who used to run around with James," I tell him.

"What?" Edward nearly screams into my ear. "He's not here is he?"

"No. Jasper was keeping an eye on things."

"Fuck. Why do you think they were here, then?" he asks.

"Jasper said they were up the street at O'Brien's and saw people here. Victoria worked in the deli for a really short time. That's how I met James," I tell him.

"Oh," is all he replies.

"I want to go to bed," I whisper. I have no idea what is wrong with me, but shit just doesn't feel right. Something is off, but I can't put my finger on exactly what. I feel paranoid, like someone is watching me and nervous energy makes my stomach clench. Edward leads me back through the party, stopping for a second to tell Jasper what happened. People are starting to trickle out and Jasper and Emmett say they'll keep an eye on things until everyone leaves. Edward and I climb up to my bedroom, where he locks the door and then insists that I take off my jeans before I fall into bed. He crawls in beside me and I melt into his warm, safe arms and mumble that I'm sorry for being a nutcase.

"I told you to never apologize to me," he says softly. "It's been a long day." He sighs into the back of my neck and I fall into a fitful sleep. I remember waking up several times throughout the night, all with a start. Every time I move, Edward reaches for me in his sleep and pulls me back to him. I try to feel safe in his embrace, but I can't shake the anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach.

**XXXXXX**

The sun is barely over the horizon when I wake up to what sounds like a goddamn hyena dying in the living room. My fucking head is pounding and I bury myself under the pillow and yell for whatever it is to shut the fuck up. I get no response and decide that if something is dying, I don't particularly want to clean up the leftover mess, so I grumble and roll out of bed.

"What the motherfuck is going on out here?" I shout as I fling my bedroom door open. Sitting on the living room floor is Jasper, Edward, Emmett, and about four other guys who apparently didn't make it home last night. They've formed a circle around Louie and poor Satch, who is getting screamed at by the bird.

"Every time we try to grab the kitten, Louie flips the fuck out. Can you please do something about this?" Jasper yells over the commotion.

"Jesus Christ. Are you all completely incapable?" I mutter as I reach down and scoop up the terrified kitten, avoiding Louie's beak and giving the bird my best bitch brow. I turn around and go back into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I have no idea why I'm in such a foul mood, but there are way too many testicles in this house right now and I really, really need to go back to sleep before I kill someone. No sooner than I've snuggled back down into the blankets with a purring kitten do I hear a soft knock on the door. I know it's Edward. He hasn't known me long enough to be scared of me right now. I don't acknowledge the knock, but I hear the door creak open.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes. I have a headache," I mutter into the pillow. I feel his weight on the bed next to me and I can't help but roll over and look up at him. He's so fucking pretty. His hair is all sexed up and he's got on a white v-neck t-shirt that I want to rip off of him. But I remind myself that I'm sort of mad at the world right now, so I keep my hands under the covers. He runs his fingers through my hair and I close my eyes again and drift off.

When I wake back up, the house is gloriously quiet and I smell bacon. Edward really may be a keeper if he's cleared everyone out and made me breakfast pork. My headache is sort of gone, so I roll out of bed again and shuffle into the kitchen. Edward's sitting at the counter, reading the newspaper and eating Ben and Jerry's out of the container. I laugh and he turns around and smiles at me.

"It smells like bacon in here," I say as I walk over to him and lean against his back.

"That's because I made you breakfast. It's in the oven," he replies as he reaches around and squeezes my ass.

"Sorry about earlier. Too loud. Too early. Too many people. Did someone give Louie to the fucking animal shelter? Because I'm going to wring his feathery little neck," I joke.

"No, Jasper locked him in his cage. I don't think he likes Satchmo," Edward laughs. "I guess the rest of those guys were too wasted to get home last night. Sorry it was so loud."

"It's not your fault. Sometimes Jasper likes to pretend like he's back in college and lives in a frat house. I'll yell at him later," I say as I head over to the oven and pull out a plate heaped full of eggs, bacon, and potatoes. "Fuck this looks good. Did you eat?"

"Yeah. Dessert," he replies, holding the ice cream up above the newspaper.

I sit down next to him and dig in, inhaling the food and subsequently getting it all over the counter. Luckily Fraggle has no sense of personal space and no manners, so he's sitting next to my plate on crumb duty. It occurs to me that this is a little over the top and that I really should make an effort to not let the crazy out in full force around Edward. But then again, he's the one eating Half Baked at 9:30 in the morning. And it's better that he knows what he's getting into right from the start. I do flick the cat's paw when he tries to sneak a piece of bacon off my plate. That's really crossing the line and he knows it.

"So what do you have going on today?" I ask Edward.

"Well, I'm supposed to go meet with a financial guy at noon. And the real estate agent wants me to go look at a clinic that's for sale. But I'm not sure what time," he says with his mouth full of ice cream.

"I have to get this fucking article finished or I'm going to be blacklisted," I grumble.

"I'll head out and run my errands and then give you a call later this afternoon. I don't want to be a distraction," he says with a grin.

"I want a distraction," I whine to him. He just rolls his eyes at me as he stands up and tosses the empty ice cream container into the trash can. He takes my plate and sets it in the sink, all man-servant style. I want him to feed me grapes and read me fine literature.

I sigh. "Ok. But if you get done early, don't hesitate to get your ass back over here."

"You know I will," he smiles at me. I turn and he comes and stands in between my legs, taking my head in his hands, kissing me softly. "Don't let your wacked out bird kill my kitten," he says, laughing.

"I'm not making any promises. You better hurry back," I tell him and then suck on his bottom lip a little bit more. He groans and pulls away from me, smirking.

"I see what you're doing here, Swan. Get your fucking article done so I can have you all to myself tonight."

"Fine," I huff. "See you soon." He clomps down the stairs and tells Louie to behave himself on his way out the door. Louie squawks in reply and I shake my head at them both.

I head back into my room to take a shower, hoping that warm water and a good scrub will make me feel better. I notice a piece of paper laying on my dresser that I don't remember seeing last night, and walk over to pick it up. My stomach drops to my feet and I rush to the bathroom and barf my breakfast back up before collapsing onto the bathmat, shaking and trying to keep my breathing under control.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. How did he get in here?" I sob to no one, considering the house is completely empty.


	11. Chapter 11

**I hate lengthy a/n where the person goes on and on, apologizing for not posting in months. So yeah...sorry. I suck. Forgive me? **

**As always, thanks to Bexy, bierbeck, Stef, and TexasKatherine. You guys rock my world. I also wanna thank Suzspetals for being awesome and supportive and all that jazz. I love ya. :-) **

**_Disclaimer:_ Tickets to see Guster and Better Than Ezra TONIGHT! belong to me, the t-shirt belongs to Smutty, and everything else belongs to SMeyer. **

**EPOV  
**

I rush through my meetings and tell the real estate agent that I'm definitely interested in the clinic she shows me. It's not in a great part of town, but it's in good shape and I think it would be cool to set up a low-cost practice if we can. She says she'll get some things in motion and drops me off back at the hotel. I really need to get my car out here, or sell it and just buy another one. I hate being so immobile. I don't know how Bella does it. I run up to my room and grab a few things because I don't plan on coming back here any time soon.

Speed-walking back to Bella's, I stop and pick up a few more pints of ice cream since I ate everything that was in her freezer last night. I also pick up the refill on her prescription that I called in yesterday and grab a six-pack because ice cream and beer sounds like a fantastic dinner. Bella slipped a key into my pocket this morning right before I left, and I can't help the shit-eating grin I have on my face as I slide it into the lock and open the front door of her house. Louie is still locked in his cage, which I find odd because I figured Bella would have forgiven him by now. He's also surprisingly quiet when I enter. He just softly mutters "lady" a few times as he shifts back and forth from foot to foot.

"Bella?" I call out to the quiet house, not getting a response. I wonder if maybe she's fallen back asleep, which annoys me because I know that article has been weighing heavy on her and I was really hoping that having a few hours alone today would push her to get it finished. I head upstairs and don't see her in the kitchen or living room so I turn towards her bedroom and see that the bathroom door is closed. I smile, remembering what she said about shower sex and thinking now would be a perfect time to convince her otherwise. I turn the knob, but it's locked.

I knock softly. "Bella, are you in there?" I wait for a second, but she doesn't say anything. I knock again, louder this time. "Bella, seriously. Open the door." After what seems like an eternity, the knob turns and the door cracks open just a sliver. All I can see are bloodshot eyes and a puffy face, so I shove the door open further and step into the bathroom.

"Bella, sweetheart, what the fuck? Are you ok?" I ask, reaching out for her. She very slightly cringes and takes a step back. I can't decide if I'm angry or scared shitless, but mostly I'm just confused as hell. She lets out a racking sob and throws herself into me with so much force I nearly fall backwards. She clutches my arms, her nails digging into me as she tries to climb up my body. I scoop her up and carry her to the bed.

"What happened Bella? You're really scaring me," I tell her. She shoves a crumpled piece of paper in my hand and takes a shaky breath. I put the paper on the bed next to us and push away from her so I can see her face. I'm worried that she's hurt or sick and I run my hands down her arms, her torso, and her legs. I don't see any bumps or bruises. Her foot is swollen, but it was swollen yesterday too.

"Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the ER? What happened?"

"I'm sorry Edward. I'm ok now. I was just here alone, and my phone is downstairs so I couldn't call anyone and I didn't know if he was in here," she says, throwing her arms around me and burying her face in my neck.

"What the fuck? If who was in here?" I ask, holding the paper she handed me up so that I can see what the hell is written on it. Everything turns black for a minute as I read the first sentence; rage encompasses me and I'm glad that Bella is sitting on top of me because I have an intense urge to break something.

_An overnight visitor and new neighbor? You naughty girl. Don't worry. I know you want to finish what we started. I've missed the way you look when you sleep._

"Don't leave, Edward. Please," she whispers, snapping me out of my rage.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby. I promise. But I need to walk through the house and make sure there's no one else in here, ok? I'm pretty sure there's not, but just to be safe..." I trail off as she clings even harder to me. I kiss the top of her head. "Sit tight, ok? I'll be right back." She sniffles and lets go of me, scooting back towards the headboard and sinking into her pillows. Fraggle jumps up and plants himself on her chest possessively and she pulls him to her face. I stand and walk through the rest of the house, opening closet doors and checking the bathrooms, just to give her peace of mind more than anything else. James must have snuck in here last night; there were so many people in and out it would have been easy for him. I remember Bella coming upstairs to check on the cats and my stomach falls to my feet. I wonder if he was up here then? The music was loud and we were all drinking. A lot could have happened before any of us realized she had been gone for a while. It occurs to me that maybe that annoying blond girl and her friend came to scope things out for James. I wonder if she was trying to distract me while I was outside and how close James really came to getting his hands on Bella while she was alone. Once I decide the house is empty, save for the two of us, I take a minute to swallow my anger before heading back towards Bella's room. She's moved from the bed to her bathroom and is brushing her teeth while both cats sit on the counter and play under the faucet.

"No one's here," I tell her as I go in and sit on the edge of the tub. She spits out the toothpaste and turns to me, raking her hands through her hair.

"I figured. I just sat in the bathroom and freaked myself right the fuck out. Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Bella? I feel awful. I shouldn't have left this morning."

"Edward, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. First of all, I don't need a fucking babysitter. Second, neither one of us knew that James had been here at that point."

The way she goes from being too terrified to function to completely unconcerned about the situation worries me. It seems like she's either at one extreme or another, which signifies that she's not dealing with whatever trauma occurred in her past. Whatever happened between her and James must have been pretty bad, and I know now that she's not telling me the whole story.

"Fine. Fair enough," I snap at her. I'm suddenly exhausted and the ball of rage sitting in my stomach is not helping to improve my mood. Bella whirls around and stalks out of the bathroom, muttering something about digging a hole and hibernating for a few months. I hang my head in my hands, tugging on my hair in frustration for a second before I follow after her.

"I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated and worried about you. And I want to kill James," I tell her. She's digging through her dresser with her back turned to me, still talking to herself. After a minute she apparently finds what she's looking for and pulls her tank top off, replacing it with a ratty t-shirt. Next she takes off her jeans and pulls on a pair of bright blue fleece pants with dogs all over them. She finally turns around and faces me, a single tear rolling down her face.

"No, I'm sorry. I was, well, I _am_ scared. I try not to be, but I can't help it. I wish he'd leave me alone. I wish I was stronger. But I'm not. So I'll just sit here in my ratty clothes and probably drink and talk to my bird and pretend like it didn't happen. I don't want to drag you into this too."

I cross the room and pull her to my chest. "Bella, you're not dragging me into anything. You couldn't drag me away from here if you tried. But pretending like nothing happened isn't going to help. I think maybe you need to call the police," I tell her.

"And say what? That we had an open-door party, he came in, left a relatively non-threatening note, and then left? They won't do anything. And I don't want to antagonize him. It'll just make it worse."

"Well, that's entirely up to you. I disagree, but it's your decision. But I promise you that if I ever run into him again I will fucking beat him to within an inch of his worthless life."

"I appreciate it, Edward, but I would prefer it if you stayed out of jail," she responds. I laugh softly and she looks up at me, her eyes still glassy with tears. It's absolutely fucking heartbreaking so I take her head in my hands and kiss her, trying to convey how much I care about her without using words. I feel her relax and lean into me, opening herself up completely. We melt into each other and my frustration and anger subsides a little. I just want her to be happy. I want to take care of her. I want to love her. I lean back a little and gaze down at her, and the feeling isn't overwhelming or scary or confusing any more. It just _is_.

"I think I've fallen for you, Bella Swan," I whisper.

"I fell for you when you referred to Faulkner as a mule and not a horse or donkey," she states matter-of-factly. I smile like an idiot and lift her up so her legs are wrapped around my waist. She has somehow managed to sum up, in one off-the-wall comment, the exact reason why I'm falling in love with her.

I laugh and kiss her neck. "You're insane."

"I know. Can we get out of here for a while? This house is a buzz kill at the moment."

"Sure thing, baby. But first you have to change your clothes and then go talk your bird off the ledge. He seemed upset when I got here," I tell her. She immediately jumps down off of me.

"Fuck. Poor Louie. He gets worried when I'm upset and I forgot to open up his cage," she says as she hurries out of the bedroom. She returns a minute later with the bird pressed underneath her chin and I can hear him purring loudly. She's talking softly to him and running her hand down his back and it occurs to me that the way she sooths herself is by taking care of her family. Unfortunately, I don't think she's had anyone really take care of her in a long time.

"So where do you want to go?" I ask her as she sits down, crossed-legged, in the middle of the bed.

"I don't know. Sun Studio? We talked about going. I just want to get out of the house for a while. Forget about all this shit."

"Forgetting about it isn't going to make it go away, Bella. Are you ever going to tell me what really happened?"

"Yeah. Eventually. Probably." she smiles shyly at me. "It's not something I like to revisit. And you'll get really pissed."

"Well, you know where to find me when you're ready to talk. And I'll try not to get mad. I know that won't help. But I feel very...protective of you," I tell her.

"I appreciate it, Edward. Really, I do. It's just hard to talk about. And like with Serenade, it's a part of my life that isn't too happy, and I want the part of my life with you in it to be nothing but happy."

"Bella, that's not logical. It's who you are. You can't ignore it and pretend like it didn't happen. And we're not always going to be happy. That's putting a lot of pressure on us, you know?"

She just huffs and rakes her hands through her hair again. "Yeah," she answers shortly. "Let me get dressed and we can go, ok?"

"Ok. I'll just wait in the living room if you want me to," I tell her. I'm irritated that she's back to being grumpy again, but I guess she's had a long morning. She doesn't respond, so I scoop Satch up and close the door behind us. The kitten climbs up my chest and sits on my shoulder as I collapse onto the couch. I'm fucking exhausted all of a sudden, and I'm sort of rethinking my aversion to the whole "snap your fingers and make it go away" thing. Maybe Bella has a point. But then I start thinking about James wandering around up here last night and I'm back to being homicidal again. I'm not going to be able to let this go, but hopefully I'll be able to put it on the back burner for now so that we can salvage what's left of the day. I really think she needs to call the police, but I don't know how to convince her of that. She seems set on ignoring the whole situation. I think she'd probably kill me if I called them myself, but I'm pretty damn close to doing just that.

"Can we get food first? I'm starving again," Bella says, startling me a little bit as she comes out of her room. I can't hide the huge smile on my face when I look at her. She's got a t-shirt on that says "NSFW" across the chest and a pair of blue jeans that look like they've seen better days. It's pretty damn adorable.

"What are you grinning about, Cullen?"

"I like your shirt," I tell her.

She laughs. "Yeah, well, it's true. And work's not safe for me. We really don't get along all that well."

"Where do you want to eat?" I ask her. She gets a pretty wicked looking smile on her face and does a little hop-skip thing that scares me a little bit.

"It's a surprise. We have to drive, though. It's over off of Hack's Cross. But it's totally worth it."

Bella drives Jasper's truck out of town in a direction that I've never been before. I'm totally curious as to where the hell she's taking me, and a little scared too. I'm worried we'll be eating chicken fried bugs or something. We don't talk much during the drive. She's put on Guster and is singing at the top of her lungs, one arm hanging out the window and the other drumming on the steering wheel. I can't help but notice that the leg not on the gas peddle is bouncing furiously and I wonder if it's out of anxiety, or if it's just a habit she isn't aware of.

"We're here," she announces, turning the stereo down as she pulls into the parking lot of what looks like a huge Mexican restaurant.

"Mexican? Really?" I ask.

"Oh, not just Mexican, Edward. Mexican buffet. All you can eat," she says, turning towards me and smiling. I laugh and pull her over the console into my lap as she takes her seat belt off. She straddles me and twists a little as she settles down onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck and leaning into me.

"All you can eat sounds perfect," I murmur, taking her bottom lip between my teeth before kissing her hungrily. She whimpers and kisses me back before pulling away and grinning at me.

"That was so corny."

"You wouldn't have me any other way, baby," I respond. She just rolls her eyes at me and opens the door, falling out of my lap and almost eating it in the parking lot. I catch her before she face plants and she curtsies once she's steady on her feet again. Shaking my head at her, I get out of the truck and we walk into what I'm pretty sure is the only Mexican buffet in the country. _Only in Memphis, _I think to myself.

A buffet of chimichangas and a pitcher of Margaritas later, we've pretty much forgotten about Sun Studio. Bella has definitely had more to drink than I have, so she tosses me the keys to the truck as we leave the restaurant.

"Drive me home, Edwaaaard," she drawls, turning and wrapping her arm around the back of my neck.

"You got it, hot stuff," I say, swooping in and sneaking a kiss. "You taste like limes."

Bella giggles and then kisses me back, tightening her grip on my neck while attempting to mount me.

"I'm not carrying you to the truck, weirdo. People are starting to stare at us," I tell her, laughing. She pouts for a minute and then says she doesn't give a fuck what other people are doing and whispers something about deep throating me in the middle of the parking lot. That's about all I can take, so I scoop her up and do, in fact, carry her to the truck. I deposit her in the passenger seat and reach over and buckle the seat belt as she palms my ridiculously hard dick.

"Get me the fuck home, Edward," she groans into my ear and I move with lightening speed around to the driver's side.

I spend the entire drive back to Beale trying to get Bella to stop trying to undress me. As soon as I pull into the back alley, she's out of the truck in a flash. Without giving me a second glance, she races into the bar, the screen door smacking behind her. I have no idea what she's up to, so I follow her blindly, realizing I would probably follow her blindly into the depths of hell and be happy about it. Before I can get through the door, she's charging back out with a bottle of Patron and a lime.

"It's a tequila and sex kind of afternoon, don't you agree?" she asks, waving the bottle in front of my face. I'm completely incapacitated with lust; she grabs my hand and drags me towards the house. She uncorks the bottle with her teeth, takes a swig, and then passes it back to me. I do the same, handing it back to her, and she takes another swallow. Before the back door is even shut, my shirt is off, her pants are unbuttoned, and there's tequila being poured down my throat. We've somehow entered a pirate-themed porno Twilight Zone, made complete by the fact that Louie flies over and perches on Bella's shoulder in the middle of everything.

"Ok, hold on," Bella pants. "We need to regroup. Here. Hold this," she says, thrusting the bottle into my hands. She puts Louie back in his cage, securely closes and locks the back door, and then leads me upstairs. When we reach the living room, she backs me onto the sofa, where I collapse into a hot mess of hard dick. She shimmies out of her pants, wiggling around and making a show of it, and then takes off her shirt. Dragging her hands down my chest, she dips them into my waistband and then pops the buttons on my fly. I lift my hips so she can pull my jeans off.

"Going commando, Dr. Cullen?" she asks in a ridiculously low, sexy voice.

"I need to do laundry," I reply, smirking at her. She just looks up at me, batting her eyelashes as she licks her lips and then suddenly takes my entire dick in her mouth. My whole body involuntarily lifts off the couch and I almost come right then and there. She slowly travels up my length, licking and sucking and humming. I won't last long at this rate, so when she gets to the tip, I grab her and lift her up to me.

"Hi," I say to her.

"Hey," she replies, blushing a little bit.

"Are you seriously blushing? After that little strip tease and then a mouthful of my cock?" I laugh.

"Shut up. Don't make fun of me!" she grins and buries her face in my neck.

"Baby I am _not_ making fun of you. The last hour has probably been the sexiest of my life. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I like it," I tell her, lifting her chin up so she's looking at me. I kiss her slowly, reverently, and she twists her hips in my lap. The blush is still on her face, but I think it's now from lust and not embarrassment. I use one hand to remove her bra and the other to pull her underwear off, and she immediately sinks down on top of me.

"Fuck, Edward. Oh my god," she moans, rising up and then coming back down. My head falls back against the sofa and I grab her hips, guiding her into a slow, comfortable rhythm. The house is silent except for her soft cries and the sound of our skin making contact. I snake my hand down in between us and brush my thumb across her clit and she gasps, clenching around me. A couple more passes and she's coming apart around me. I don't last much longer; all her teasing has kept me on the edge for what seems like an eternity, and I release into her. She collapses onto my chest and I wrap my arms around her. We sit like that for a few minutes until she stirs and looks up at me.

"I needed that. I needed to feel close to you. Safe. Thank you," she says, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I needed it too, Bella," I tell her, and then stand and carry her to the bed where we both immediately fall into a deep, satiated sleep.


End file.
